^ 

.^^i;^. 


■*.  "^^  1^, 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


U^|Z8     |2.5 
e  li^    1 2.2 


K. 


"«    I 


1.4 


2.0 


1.8 


HiotDgraphic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


^^^^ 


13  WiST  MAIN  STREIT 

WEBSTIR.N.Y.  14SS0 

(716)872-4503 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Inttituta  for  Historical  IMicroreproductions 


Institut  Canadian  da  microraproductions  historiquaa 


1980 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notat  tachniquaa  at  bibliographiquaa 


Tha  Inatituta  haa  attamptad  to  obtain  the  bast 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Feature*  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibiiographically  unique, 
which  may  altar  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


D 


n 


D 
D 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagAe 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurie  et/ou  pellicul6e 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


I      I    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


D 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
RaliA  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
a!ong  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr6e  paut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  beer  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte. 
mais,  lorsque  cela  Atait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmies. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl6mentaires; 


L'Inatitut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  At*  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique.  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m^thode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquAs  ci-desaous. 


I      I   Coloured  pages/ 


n 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagias 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaur^as  et/ou  pelliculAes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxe< 
Pages  dAcolorAes,  tachetAes  ou  piqutes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ditachAes 

Showthroughy 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  in^gaie  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppl^mentaire 


I      I  Pages  damaged/ 

I      I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

I    ~|  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

□  Pages  detached/ 
Pages 

I      I  Showthrough/ 

I      I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Mition  disponible 

Pages  whilly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalament  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  fauillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  M  filmies  A  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obtenir  la  meiileure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


y 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  hare  hat  baan  raproduoad  thanks 
to  tha  ganaroaity  of: 

National  Library  of  Canada 


L'axamplaira  film*  fut  raproduit  grAca  A  la 
gAnArositA  da: 

Bibliothiqua  nationala  du  Canada 


Tha  imagaa  appearing  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  conaidaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  Icaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


Las  images  suivantes  ont  AtA  raproduites  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattet*  de  I'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmaga. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  bacit  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  iilustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^»>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Lea  exemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  en 
papier  est  ImprimAe  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant 
par  la  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darniire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  la  second 
plat,  salon  la  cat  Tous  las  autras  exemplairas 
originaux  sont  filmAs  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  darniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
darnlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cat:  la  symbole  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE  ".  le 
symbols  ▼  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  A  des  taux  de  rAduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
raproduit  an  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  filmA  A  partir 
da  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombro 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Las  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

/ . 


/ 


STORIES  OF  NEW  FRANCE 


BEING  TALES 

OP  ADVENTURE  AND  HEROISM   FROM  THE 

EARLY  HISTORY  OF  CANADA 


|n  Cbo  %tm% 


FIRST  SERIES  BY 

AGNES  MAULE  MACHAR 

SECOND  SERIES   BY 

THOMAS  G.  MARQUIS 


K- 


BOSTON 

D.    LOTHROP  COMPANY 

WASHINGTON  STRBBT  OPPOSITE   BHOMPIKLD 


.   I 


Fsdsy 


294613 


Copvmr.HT,  1890, 


BY 


D.    LOTHROP  C'OMPANV, 


J 


TO  THE 

REK  GEORGE  MONRO  GRANT,  D.  />., 
Principal  of  Queen's  University,  Kingston, 

AND  TO 

PROFESSOR  C.  C.  D.  ROBERTS,  M.  A., 
of  King's  College,  IVindsor. 

Canadians  who,  by  tongue  and  fen,  have  done  honvur 

to  their  native  land,  these  brief  stories  from  her 

tarly  history  are  respectfully  inscribed. 


PREFACE. 


The  seventeenth  century  may  be  called  the  heroic  age 
of  Canada.  The  infant  colony  had  to  struggle  for  exist- 
ence against  pitiless  enemies  and  forces  of  nature  strange 
and  well-nigh  insurmountable.  The  struggle  brought  out 
a  race  of  heroes  whose  names  no  one  in  the  Old  or  New 
World  should  willingly  let  die.  Champlain,  Maison- 
neuve,  Daulac,  La  Salle  remind  us  of  Arthur's  Knights 
of  the  Round  Table.  Le  Jeune,  Jogues,  Br^beuf,  Lalle- 
niant  consecrated  the  colony  by  lives  of  noblest  endeavor 
and  heroic  death.  Their  memories  belong  to  the  Church 
universal.  Their  names  are  worthy  of  a  place  in  any 
martyrology. 

The  object  of  this  volume  is  to  make  the  past  of  Can- 
ada better  known,  to  those  at  least  who  have  not  leisure 
or  opportunity  to  study  the  glowing  pages  of  Parkman. 
Writers  who  follow  him  must  consult  his  works.  But 
few  have  the  time  to  read  through  ten  or  twelve  volumes 
about  one  period  in  the  history  of  Canada.  These  stories 
deal  with  the  time  in  question  through  episodes  round 
which  cluster  all  the  most  interesting  details.  The  voy- 
ages of  Jacques  Cartier,  the  colonizing  of  Acadie,  Quebec 
and  Montreal,  the  wars  with  the  Iroquois,  the  story  of 
the  Jesuit  missions,  the  adventures  of  La  Salle,  the  tale 
of  Evangeline  and  the  last  siege  of  Quebec  —  so  crowded 
with  incident  —  include  the  chief  points  of  interest  in 
early  Canadian  history. 

For  convenience  these  stories  have  been  divided  into 
two  series.     The  first  deals  with  the  founding  of  the 


PREFACE. 


colony;  the  second  with  the  efforts  to  extend  it,  as  New 
France,  over  well-nigh  the  whole  continent.  The  first 
series,  as  well  as  the  story  of  La  Salle  in  the  second,  is 
from  the  pen  of  a  writer  well  known  in  Canada  by  the 
nom  de  plume  of  "  Fidelis."  Her  writings  are  always  in- 
stinct with  patriotic  emotion  and  moral  purpose.  The 
second  series,  with  the  one  exception  referred  to,  is  by 
Mr.  T.  G.  Marquis,  a  young  Canadian  writer  who  appro- 
priately begins  his  literary  career  with  these  stories  of  his 
native  land. 

George  Monro  Grant. 
Queen's  University,  Kingston,  Canada. 
March,  1888. 


irst 

,  is 

the 

in- 

he 

by 

ro- 

lis 


LIST  OF  GOVERNORS   OF   NEW   FRANCE. 


1608 


1759. 


Samuel  de  Champlain. 

Ar.  De  Montmagny. 

M.  D'Aillebouf. 

M.  De  Lauzon. 

M.  D'Argeuson. 

M.  D'Avaiigour. 

M.  De  Mt^zy. 

M.  De  Courcelles. 

M.  De  Frontenac. 

M.  De  La  Bar  re. 

M.  De  Denonville. 

M.  De  Calli^res. 

M.  De  Vaudreuil. 

M.  De  Longueuil. 

M.  De  Beauharnois. 

M.  De  La  Galissoni^re. 

M.  De  Ln  Jonquiere. 

M.  De  Duquesne. 

M.  De  Vaudreuil-Cavagnal. 


f 


DATES  OF  LEADING    EVENTS 
MENTIONED   IN  THE  FOLLOWING  STORIES. 

1492.  Discovery  of  America  by  Columbus. 

1535.  Cartier's  entrance  into  the  St.  Lawrence. 

1540.  De  Robervnl's  colonizing  expedition. 

1598.  Expedition  of  Marquis  de  la  Roche. 

1605.  Founding  of  Port  Royal  by  De  Monts. 

16x3.  Destruction  of  Port  Royal  by  Argall. 

1608.  Champlain  founded  Quebec. 

1609.  Champlain's  first  brush  with  the  Iroquois. 
1629.  First  siege  of  Quebec  by  Kirke. 

1632.  Arrival  of  Jesuits  at  Quebec. 

1635.  Death  of  Champlain. 

1639.  Landing  of  hospital  nuns. 

1642.  Founding  of  Ville  Marie  de  Montreal. 

1649.  Massacre  of  the  Hurons. 

1673.  Founding  of  Fort  Frontenac. 

1690.  Second  siege  of  Quebec. 

1759.  Great  siege  of  Quebec. 


AUTHORS'  PREFACE 


FOR   CANADIANS. 


Canada,  though  a  young  country,  inherits  a  history 
))eculiarly  rich  in  heroic  memories.  The  national  char- 
acter should  be  correspondingly  rich,  deriving,  as  she 
does,  her  origin  from  two  nations,  whose  characteristic 
ijualities  are  well  fitted  to  balance  and  supplement  each 
')theF  —  the  brilliant  chivalric  dash  and  idealism  of  the 
French  pioneers  who  wert  her  first  settlers,  and  the  strong, 
sober  judgment  and  practical  enterprise  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxons  who  followed  up  their  first  fragmentary  attempts 
at  colonization.  On  both  sides  of  her  ancestry,  she  can 
look  back  to  a  noble  past,  bright  with  heroic  endurance, 
and  rich  in  gallant  deeds  wrought  by  the  sons  of  both 
nations  on  her  virgin  soil.  Champlain  and  La  Salle, 
Daulac  and  Bruck,  tirebeuf  and  Macdowall,  Wolfe  and 
Montcalm  —  Canada  can  claim  them  all!  For,  in  the 
greater  name  of  Canada,  are  merged  to-day"  New  France  " 
and  "  British  North  America."  And  in  the  simple  name 
of  Canadian  we  may  well  merge  the  more  partial  designa- 
tions of  "Anglo-Saxon"  and  "Franco-Canadian;"  for 
"Norman  and  Saxon  and  Celt  are  we."  It  is  then  our 
true  "national  policy"  to  mould,  out  of  our  diverse  ma- 
terial, a  national  character  enriched  by  the  best  traits  of 
the  races  from  which  we  spring,  enriched  also  by  the 
bilingual  character  of  our  composite  origin.  On  the 
gradual  and  peaceful  fusion  of  differing  elements  into  a 
harmonious  whole,  must  depend  the  future  welfare  of 
Canada.  To  promote,  among  English-speaking  Canadians, 
a  wider  and  more  familiar  knowledge  of  the  heroic  past 
inherited  through  their  French  fellow  countrymen — that 
past  which  Parkman  has  so  eloquently  told  and  Frechette 
has  so  nobly  sung  —  is  one  aim  of  these  "  Stories  of  New 
France." 

Kings  forty  Ontario^  October ^  1889. 


NOTE. 

{Inserted  by  authors'  request.) 

For  the  orthography  used  in  this  volume,  in  cases  where 
the  English  and  American  usage  differ,  the  publishers 
only  are  responsible. 


CONTENTS. 


Jfirst  ^crifs. 


CHAITER    I. 


HOW    NEW    FRANCE    WAS    FOUND 


CHAPTKR    II. 


THE    STORY    OF   JACQUES    CARTIER  . 


12 


CHAPTER    III. 


THE    STORY    OF    MARGUERITE    DE     ROIJERVAL    .  32 


CHAPTER    IV. 


THE    MARQUIS    DE    LA    ROC  ME    AND    HIS    FORTY 
THIEVES         


42 


CHAPTER   V. 


THE   STORY   OF   ST.    CROIX 


SO 


CHAPTER   VI. 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL  . 


62 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   VII. 


THE  STORY   OF   CHAMPLAIN 


79 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


THE   ADVENTURES   OF    PERE   LE  JEUNE   . 


100 


CHAPTER   IX. 


THE    MARTYRS   OF    THE    HURON    MISSION 


121 


CHAPTER   X. 


THE   STORY   OF   VILLE    MARIE   DE   MONTREAL  I45 


JSttonb  %tm%> 


CHAPTER    I. 


A   CANADIAN   THERMOPYLAE 


165 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE  . 


182 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  HEROINE  OF  CASTLE  DANGEROUS  . 


214 


79 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   IV. 

THE   THREE   WAR-PARTIES 


•  • 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    FIRST   SIEGE   OF    QUEBEC 


CHAPTER   VI. 


THE   ACADIAN    EXILES      . 

/ 

CHAPTER   VII 

THE   GREAT   SIEGE   OF   QUEBEC 


225 


•  • 


245 


*  •  • 


264 


284 


STORIES  OF  NEW  FRANCE. 


CHAPTER   I. 


HOW  NEW  FRANCE  WAS  FOUND. 


I 


FOR  thousands  of  years,  as  we  all  know,  the 
Eastern  Hemisphere  was  supposed,  by  those 
who  lived  on  it,  to  constitute  the  whole  world.  The 
earth  itself  was  supposed  to  be  a  flat  expanse  of  land, 
with  one  f-jreat  ocean  washing  the  shores  of  Europe, 
Asia  and  Africa.  Probably  in  ancient  times  ships 
from  Plastern  Asia  were  sometimes  driven  by  winds 
to  the  American  coast  ;  and  thus  may  have  begun 
some  of  the  races,  such  as  the  old  Mound  Builders, 
vestiges  of  whose  works  are  still  found  in  the  West- 
ern States,  as  the  only  record  of  their  existence  in  the 
long  ago.  Whence  came  the  Indians  who  so  long 
made  the  continent  of  North  America  one  great 
hunting-ground,  we  cannot  tell.  We  only  know 
that  the  first  European  explorers  found  these  red- 
men  leading,  amid  the  trackless  forests,  the  same 
wild,  wandering  life  still  followed  by  their  posterity. 
They  moved  about  from  place  to  place,  putting  up 
and  taking  down  their  light  wigwams,  paddling  iheir 
canoes  across  rivers  and  lakes,  hunting  the  deer,  the 
beaver  and  the  otter  —  gaining  their  rude,  irregular 
subsistence  much  as  do  the  young  ravens  ;  and,  like 


9 


HOW  NEW  FRANCE    WAS  FOUND. 


\ 


them,  often  hungry,  yet  seldom  altogether  lacking 
the  food  with  which  the  Great  Father  of  all  had  pro- 
vided the  forest  and  the  stream.*  ^ 

From  these,  too,  they  procured  clothing  as  well  as 
food.  They  smoked  the  skins  of  the  deer  for  Shirts 
and  leggings,  and  the  thick  fur  coats  of  the  bear  and 
the  buffalo,  the  otter  and  beaver  supplied  warm  gar- 
ments for  the  bitter  winter  days,  and  soft  rugs  to 
spread  on  their  rude  couches  to  serve  for  both  mat- 
tress and  blankets.  In  warm  weather,  as  a  substi- 
tute for  clothing,  they  painted  themselves  gaily  in 
bright  colors,  for  holiday  and  warlike  display. 

They  had  usually  neither  beards  nor  mustaches, 
but  shaved  their  heads,  leaving  only  one  lock  which 
they  called  a  scalp-lock  ;  but,  on  warlike  and  festive 
occasions,  they  loved  to  adorn  their  heads  with  the 
feathers  of  bright  plumaged  birds.  The  kind  of 
houses  used  for  very  short  sojourns  were  what  we 
usually  call  wigwams,  built  of  strong  saplings,  planted 
in  a  circle,  and  united  at  the  top,  leaving  a  hole  for 
a  chimney  above  the  fire  in  the  middle  :  this  frame- 
work being  covered  with  sheets  of  birch  bark  and 
curtains  of  deerskin.  Larger  houses  were  built  of 
rows  of  poles  drawn  together  at  the  top,  leaving  a 
long  slit  between  them  to  let  the  air  in  and  the 
smoke  out,  and  these  would  contain  from  two  to  six 
or  seven  families  ;  men,  women,  children  and  dogs. 
They  slept  on  the  ground,  well  covered  with  a  layer 


*  Mr.  Brooks  in  his  "  Story  of  the  American  Indian,"  asserts  that  the  red-man 
had  his  beginnings  on  the  American  continent ;  that  the  Mound  Builders  were  but  a 
more  civilized  branch  of  the  earlier  Indians;  that  the  red-men,  before  the  days  of 
white  discovery,  lived  in  large  community  houses  instead  of  the  traditional  wigwams, 
and  that  they  had  no  conception  of  the  "  Great  Spirit."  AH  this  may  be  so.  It  is 
an  interesting  study  that  I  leave  to  other  American  story-tellers  to  unravel. 


HO IV  NEW  FRANCE    WAS  FOUND. 


of  pine  needles,  for  dryness  and  softness,  or  on  light 
shelves  of  interlaced  branches,  laid  along  the  sides  of 
the  wigwam,  and  serving  for  seats  by  day  and  beds 
at  night.  Under  these  they  would  lay  their  bags  of 
provisions,  while  they  hung  their  weapons  and  rude 
implements  on  the  walls.  As  all  the  smoke  could 
not  escape  through  the  opening  above,  the  wigwams 
were  often  filled  with  it,  but  the  hardy  savages  were 
accustomed  to  bear  both  smoke  and  cold  without 
minding  the  inconvenience. 

When  not  engaged  in  war,  the  occupation  of  the 
men  was  hunting  for  food.  They  used  spears  and 
arrows,  pointed  with  the  rudely  cut  flint  heads  that 
are  still  sometimes  found  and  prized  as  curious  relics. 
They  fished  with  hooks  cut  out  of  bone,  or  with  nets 
woven  of  twine,  made  by  rolling  hemp  on  their 
thighs.  They  cooked  their  fish  and  venison  in 
earthen  pots,  which  the  squaws  moulded  out  of  clay. 
Their  only  crop  was  maize,  pounded  in  wooden  mor- 
tars, and  used  as  pottage,  flavored  with  scraps  of  meat 
or  fish. 

Their  canoes,  in  which  they  would  paddle  swiftly 
for  long  distances  along  the  great  rivers  and  forest 
streams,  were  usually  made  of  birch  bark,  taken  off 
whole,  and  stretched  on  a  light  frame,  the  seams 
being  daubed  with  pitch,  like  Moses'  ark  of  bulrushes. 
When  birches  were  scarce,  they  used  elm  bark,  but 
this  was  neither  so  strong  nor  so  light. 

The  various  tribes  were  perpetually  waging  de- 
structive wars  with  each  other,  their  weapons  being 
arrows,  spears  and  rude  axes,  called  tomahawks. 
They  defended  themselves  with  shields  made  of  raw 
bison-hide,  or  of  wood,  covered  with  plaited  thongs 


I  < 

I 


HOW  NEW  FRANCE    WAS  FOUND. 


of  skin  ;  and  sometimes  wore  breastplates  and  greaves 
made  of  twigs  interwoven  with  cordage.  Some  of 
the  tribes  built  little  forts,  to  defend  their  villages, 
surrounded  by  double  or  triple  rows  of  palisades  made 
from  trees  felled  by  their  stone  axes  with  the  aid  of 
fire.  The  rows  of  palisades  leaned  against  each 
other  till  they  crossed  near  the  top,  and  were  lined 
with  heavy  sheets  of  bark  ;  while  along  the  crossing 
of  the  palisades  ran  galleries  on  which  men  could 
stand  and  throw  heavy  stones  at  their  foes,  or  pour 
streams  of  water  down  gutters,  to  put  out  the  fires 
they  might  kindle  below.  They  were  very  cunning 
and  wary  warriors,  as  well  as  very  cruel,  and  delighted 
in  torturing  the  captives  they  took  in  battle,  whom 
they  sometimes  also  devoured.  After  killing  an 
enemy,  they  would  take  off  his  scalp  with  their  toma- 
hawks, and  carry  it  home  as  a  trophy,  priding  them- 
selves on  the  number  of  these  grim  spoils  which  they 
could  carry  back  to  their  villages. 

The  Indians  were  divided  into  many  tribes,  and 
these  again  into  great  families  or  clans,  each  of  which 
took  its  name  from  some  plant  or  animal,  which 
became  its  totem  or  crest.  Each  clan  had  its  chief 
or  sachem,  obeyed  by  all ;  and  these  chiefs  were 
wont  to  meet  in  council  to  decide  on  all  important 
matters  that  concerned  the  tribe.  Each  clan  had, 
also,  its  "  medicine  man,"  or  sorcerer,  who  had 
almost  as  much  power  as  the  chief,  and  who,  besides 
professing  to  cure  the  sick,  performed  many  strange 
and  superstitious  rites,  and  was  often  supposed  to  be 
able  to  foretell  future  events. 

The  women  did  all  the  hard  and  menial  work  — 
hewing  wood  and  drawing  water,  as  well  as  cooking 


HO IV  NEW  FRANCE    WAS  FOUND. 


the  food  and  making  the  clothing  of  deerskin  and 
furs.  When  the  men  had  killed  their  game,  they 
usually  left  it  for  the  women  to  carry  home,  thinking 
such  work  beneath  their  own  dignity. 

For  money  they  used  long  white  and  purple  beads, 
made  out  of  shells,  which  they  called  wampum.  This 
they  valued  very  much,  and  used  it  also  as  a  record 
of  all  important  transactions ;  a  string  of  wampum 
being  always  given  by  one  party  to  the  other,  as  a 
seal  is  attached  to  lawyers'  parchments.  These 
strings  were  kept  as  a  sort  of  history,  and  it  was  the 
duty  of  one  old  man  in  the  tribe  to  be  keeper  of  the 
wampum  —  that  is,  to  take  care  of  the  various  strings, 
and  remember  and  interpret  what  they  signified. 

The  Indians  had  many  superstitions  about  spirit- 
ual beings.  They  thought  that  not  only  animals  and 
plants,  but  rivers,  rocks  and  cataracts  had  their  in- 
dwelling spirits,  which  must  be  treated  with  respect. 
They  were  anxious,  therefore,  to  propitiate  even  the 
animals  they  hunted,  and  would  sometimes  address 
an  apology  to  a  wounded  bear.  Even  the  fishing- 
nets  were  propitiated  by  curious  ceremonies,  and 
every  evening  some  one  was  appointed  to  address 
the  fish,  begging  them  to  take  courage  and  be  caught, 
and  promising  that  due  respect  shall  be  shown  to 
their  bones.  But,  besides  all  these  lower  spirits, 
the  Indians  believed,  also,  in  higher  beings  called 
Manitous,  sometimes  invisible,  and  sometimes  taking 
the  forms  of  animals  or  human  beings;  sometimes 
even  of  stones.  Each  Indian  as  he  grew  up,  was  sup- 
posed to  have  one  of  these  spirits  for  his  guardian 
Manitou,  and  always  wore  some  emblem  of  it,  which 
was  believed  to  act  as  a  charm.     This,  of  course, 


HO IV  NEW  FRANCE    WAS  FOUND. 


became  a  sort  of  fetich  or  image-worship.  They 
believed  too,  vaguely,  in  a  chief  Manitou  or  Great 
Spirit,  the  ruler  of  all.  And  one  tribe  believed  also 
in  a  Divine  Messenger  named  Hiawatha,  who  once 
made  his  abode  on  earth,  to  be  the  teacher  and  the 
friend  of  man.  Thus  for  many  ages  these  savage 
tribes  lived  on  in  the  great  forests,  fighting,  hunting, 
fishing  —  ignorant  of  even  the  existence  of  the  pow- 
erful white  race  that  was  soon  coming  to  take  pos- 
session of  their  land. 

About  four  hundred  years  ago,  the  people  of  EOrope 
were  just  waking  up  to  realize  that  the  great  mass 
of  land  containing  Europe,  Asia  and  Africa  did  not 
make  up  the  whole  of  our  round  world,  and  adven- 
turous spirits  were  dreaming  of  what  might  be 
beyond.  Some  six  hundred  years  earlier,  indeed,  the 
old  Norse  "  sea  kings,"  as  they  were  well  named,  in 
the  course  of  their  rovings  over  the  blue  waves  had 
discovered  Iceland  and  settled  a  colony  there,  which 
became  the  Icelandic  people.  In  course  of  time  a 
colony  went  to  settle  in  Greenland,  which  may  be 
called  a  bit  of  the  New  World.  And  about  the  end 
of  the  tenth  century,  a  band  of  Norsemen  from 
Greenland  sailed  southward  until  they  came  to  a  fer- 
tile country  where  masses  of  wild  grapevines  grew 
luxuriantly  among  the  great  forest  trees,  covered 
with  clusters  of  ripe  grapes.  They  filled  their  ships 
with  grapes,  and  wood  hewn  from  the  trees,  and 
steered  homeward.  Afterwards  came  other  parties, 
led  by  a  brave  ir.an  named  Lief,  who  lived  there  for 
years,  delighted  with  the  beauty  of  the  country,  the 
fertility  of  the  soil,  the  abundant  grapes,  the  salmon 
caught  in  the  rivers  and  sea,  and  the  greater  equality 


ffOlV  NEW  FRANCE    WAS  FOUND. 


of  the  days  and  nights,  so  unequal  in  their  own  north- 
ern land. 

But  they  eventually  got  into  trouble  with  the 
••  Skraelings,"  as  they  called  the  Indians.  Liefs 
brother,  Thorwald  the  Viking,  was  killed,  and  though 
his  widow  Freydis  was  very  brave,  they  all  seem 
to  have  returned  at  last  to  cold  and  barren  Greenland. 
One  little  boy,  called  Snorri,  who  afterwards  became  a 
bishop,  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  that  great 
unexplored  continent,  which  we  now  call  America. 
The  "land  of  vines  and  grapes,"  which  the  Norse 
explorers  called  Vinland,  is  supposed  by  some  to 
have  been  Rhode  Island,  but  it  may  just  as  probably 
have  been  Nova  Scotia,  where  wild  grapes  grow 
plentifully  and  the  climate  is  much  milder  than  that 
of  Greenland.  The  Icelanders,  who  kept  up  fre- 
quent intercourse  with  Greenland,  had  many  stones 
of  this  far-off  beautiful  land  of  vines,  which  they  told 
to  the  Spanish  and  English  sailors  who  came  to  Ice- 
land on  trading  voyages,  and  in  this  way  there  grew 
up  a  strong  desire  to  explore  these  strange  unknown 
countries  to  westward  of  the  great  sea.  Moreover, 
as  it  was  supposed  that  there  was  but  one  great  con- 
tinent and  one  great  ocean,  people  thought  that  if 
they  only  sailed  far  enough  to  the  west  they  would 
find  out  a  short  way  to  the  rich  countries  of  India, 
Japan  and  Cathay,  from  which  came  silks  and  gold 
and  pearls  and  other  coveted  treasures.  Kings  as 
well  as  mariners,  therefore,  were  eager  to  find  out 
the  shortest  route  to  the  east,  as  well  as  to  look  for 
countries  still  unexplored. 

But  it  was  chiefly  from  France — lying  just  oppo- 
site to  Canada  on  the  other  side  of  the  sea  —  that  the 


I 


i'  I 

I  I 


8  NO IV  NEW  FRANCE   WAS  FOUND. 

first  explorers  reached  it.  Even  before  the  famous 
voyage  of  Columbus,  a  French  sea  captain,  Cousin  of 
Dieppe,  driven  westward  by  winds  and  currents,  is 
said  to  have  come  within  sight  of  an  unknown  land 
and  of  the  mouth  of  a  great  river.  But  instead  of 
pressing  on,  he  sailed  back  to  France,  and  so  missed 
securing  for  his  country  and  himself  the  honor  of 
the  discovery  of  America.  One  of  his  sailors,  how 
ever,  a  Spaniard,  Pinzon  of  Palos,  being  discharged 
for  mutiny,  went  to  Spain,  and  told  what  he  had  seen 
to  a  man  who  had  long  been  dreaming  of  some  un- 
known land  beyond  the  western  ocean.  And  when 
Columbus  at  last  set  out  on  his  great  voyage  of  dis- 
covery, this  Pinzon  is  said  to  have  gone  with  him 
as  a  guide. 

Two  brave  French  seamen,  Denis  of  Honfleur, 
and  Aubert  of  Dieppe,  explored  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence  very  early  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and 
soon  after  that,  another  Frenchman,  the  Abb6  de 
L^ry,  tried  to  settle  Sable  Island,  leaving  there 
some  cattle  which  lived  and  multiplied — their  de- 
scendants being  found  there  long  afterward.  Mean- 
time the  Venetian  merchant,  John  Cabot,  was  sent 
by  the  English  king,  Henry  the  Seventh,  to  cruise 
about  the  world  and  take  possession  in  the  king's 
name,  of  all  the  land  they  should  discover.  Five 
years  after  the  voyage  of  Columbus,  he  and  his  three 
sons  sailed  to  the  west  and  reached  the  coast  of 
Labrador,  which  they  described  as  a  cold  and  barren 
country,  where  there  were  many  white  bears.  They 
were  the  first  Europeans,  after  the  Norsemen,  to 
reach  the  mainland  of  North  America,  For  this 
Cabot  was  greatly  honored  in  England,  where  he  was 


HOiy  NEW  FRANCE    WAS  FOUND. 


called  the  "  Great  Admiral,"  and  was  followed  by 
admiring  crowds  as  he  went  about  magnificently  at- 
tired. One  of  his  sons,  named  Sebastian  Cabot,  after- 
wards made  other  voyages.  He  sailed  for  six  thou- 
sand miles  along  the  American  coast,  going  as  far 
south  as  Maryland,  and  also  exploring  Hudson's  Bay. 
He  was  called  the  "Great  Seaman,"  and  passion- 
ately loved  the  sea.  It  has  been  said  of  him,  "  He 
gave  Kngland  a  continent,  and  his  burial  place  was 
unknown."  Thus  it  happened  that  the  first  great 
discoverers  of  America  were  Italians,  who  explored 
it  for  the  benefit  of  other  countries,  although  the  dis- 
coverer of  Florida  was  Ponce  de  Leon,  a  Spaniard, 
who  took  possession  of  it  for  Spain. 

John  Verrazano  was  the  next  Italian  voyager  who 
reached  the  coast  of  America.  He  lived  in  France 
and  wished  to  please  King  Francis  both  by  securing 
for  him  also  a  part  of  this  New  World,  and  by  finding 
out  a  short  passage  to  China  and  Cathay.  He  did 
not  succeed  in  this  object,  but  in  exploring  the  coast 
of  North  America,  from  North  Carolina  to  Newfound- 
land, he  found  what  was  better,  a  great  and  fertile 
country  which  was  to  afford  room  for  millions  from 
the  over-crowded  New  World  to  live  and  labor,  as 
well  as  the  increased  supply  of  food  that  our  greater 
world  needs  to-day.  Verrazano  and  his  friends  were 
at  first  quite  friendly  with  the  painted  and  feathered 
savages  they  met.  Sometimes,  however,  the  French 
did  not  treat  the  Indians  fairly,  and  then  began 
trouble  which  stirred  up  evil  passions  on  both  sides, 
and  never  entirely  ceased.  When  Verrazano  re- 
turned to  France,  his  news  was  received  joyfully  by 
the  merchants   of    Lyons,    who  hoped  to   find   in 


lO 


HOW  NEW  FRANCE    WAS  FOUND. 


America  a  new  opening  for  trade.  But  France 
wus  in  trouble ;  her  king  was  a  captive,  and  Ver- 
razano  had  to  give  up  his  plan  of  returning  to  found 
a  colony  and  establish  a  mission.  Whether  he  was 
killed  by  Indians,  as  some  say,  or  met  the  tragic  fate 
of  a  pirate,  as  is  affirmed  by  others,  we  do  not  know, 
but  he  died  without  seeing  any  fruit  of  his  labor  in 
this  first  great  survey  of  the  American  continent. 

But,  notwithstanding  Spain's  proud  claim  to  the 
possession  of  the  wholt  Western  hemisphere,  it  was 
France,  nevertheless,  that  first  made  any  real  at- 
tempt to  colonize  North  America.  This  was  natural 
enough,  under  the  circumstances.  The  white  cliffs 
of  Western  France  seem  to  stretch  far  out  into  the 
waste  of  waters,  as  if  vainly  trying  to  reach  that 
opposite  shore  from  which,  tradition  says,  some 
shock  of  nature  had  once  rent  them  asunder.  The 
mist-wrapped  rocks  of  Newfoundland,  *'  where  sailors 
gang  to  fish  for  cod,"  had  been  familiar  to  the  hardy 
Basque  and  Breton  and  Norman  fishermen  almost 
as  early  as  (some  scholars  assert  even  before)  the 
first  voyage  of  Columbus,  and  had  taken  its  name 
of  Baccalaos,  from  the  Basque  word  for  codfish.  As 
early  as  517,  a  fleet  of  some  fifty  French,  Spanish 
and  Portuguese  vessels  were  busily  engaged  at 
catching  these  fish  and  taking  them  back  in  their 
ships  for  the  Lenten  fare  of  the  people  at  home. 
And  strange  stories  these  mariners  brought,  too,  of 
these  wild,  rugged  shores  ;  of  rocks  lashed  perpetu- 
ally by  the  white  surf,  and  inhabited  only  by  the 
walrus,  the  bear,  the  seal  and  the  screaming  sea- 
fowl ;  and  of  others  more  fearful  sti^!,  fretted  by  the 
strong  sec,  waves  and  veiled  in    mist,  from  whence 


HOW  NEW  FRANCE    WAS  FOUND. 


II 


could  be  heard  the  wailing  cries  of  troubled  spirits, 
at  which  the  terrified  mariner  would  cross  himself 
and  repeat  words  of  Scripture  for  a  charm.  These 
tales,  together  with  Verrazano's  report,  greatly 
strengthened  the  desire  of  the  hardy  Norman  mari- 
ners, as  well  as  of  some  French  nobles,  to  penetrate 
farther  into  these  mysterious  regions  and  discover 
what  they  really  contained.  It  was  Brittany  ai;d 
Normandy,  therefore,  that  sent  the  first  explorers 
and  settlers  to  Canada,  and  the  great  Dominion, 
thus,  through  both  England  and  France,  traces  a 
double  line  of  descent  from  the  strong  old  Norman 
stock. 


CHAPTER   II. 


THE    STORY    OF   JACQUES    CARTIER. 


THE  bright  spring  sunshine  lighted  up  the  gray 
walls  and  battlements  of  the  rugged  old  sea- 
port town  of  St.  Malo,  on  the  coast  of  Brittany, 
when  two  little  ships  slowly  glided  away  from  its 
harbor  bound  on  a  long  and  adventurous  voyage. 
They  were  manned  by  a  hundred  and  twenty  men, 
and  their  commander  was  Jacques  Cartier,  a  captain 
specially  chosen  by  King  Francis.  The  king  hoped 
that  he  would  be  able  to  discover  the  coveted  short 
route  to  China  and  Cathay,  and  possibly  to  discover 
the  gold  and  silver  of  which  the  French  had  heard  in 
South  America.  He  expected  also  that  Cartier 
would  open  up  new  channels  for  trade  and  secure  the 
possession  of  part,  at  least,  of  the  great  new  conti- 
nent, to  which,  as  he  truly  said,  France  had  as  good 
a  right  as  Spain  and  Portugal,  who  wanted  to  have 
it  all  to  themselves. 

The  little  expedition  sailed  across  the  wide  Atlan- 
tic reaching  Cape  Bonavista  in  Newfoundland  about 
the  middle  of  May.  From  thence,  passing  on  to  the 
Isle  of  Birds,  as  the  Portuguese  had  called  it  on  ac- 
count of  the  multitude  of  birds  there,  they  arrived 
at  the  Strait  of  Belle  Isle,  and,  after  some  detention 
through  bad  weather,  they  explored  the  cold  and 
sterile  shores  of  Labrador  and  Newfoundland. 

13 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  CARTIER. 


13 


Cartier  thought  that  this  barren  and  uninviting 
land  might  be  taken  for  the  country  assigned  to 
Cain  ;  and  considered  one  acre  of  the  Magdalen 
Islands,  which  he  reached  next,  as  worth  the  whole  of 
Newfoundland.  He  had  much  to  tell  of  the  birds  he 
found  there,  as  well  as  "beasts  as  large  as  oxen 
and  possessing  great  tusks  like  elephants,"  which 
when  he  approached  leaped  suddenly  into  the  sea. 
He  described,  too,  the  beautiful  trees  and  delicious 
fruits,  as  well  as  the  wild  corn,  blossoming  peas 
(vetches),  currants,  strawberries,  roses  and  sweet- 
smelling  herbs. 

Cartier  thought  the  waves  were  very  heavy  and 
strong  among  these  islands.  This  made  him  think 
that  there  was  probably  an  opening  between  New- 
foundland and  Cape  Breton,  and  he  began  to  look  for 
a  passage  by  v/hich  he  might  sail  westward  into  the 
heart  of  the  country.  As  the  sailors  rowed  their 
boats  close  in  shore,  coasting  along  bays  and  inlets, 
they  could  sometimes  see  the  naked  savages  moving 
about  on  the  beach,  or  paddling  their  light  birch 
canoes ;  after  a  time  they  managed  to  hold  some 
intercourse  and  traffic  with  them,  by  means  of  signs 
and  little  gifts  of  hatchets,  knives,  beads  and  toys, 
often  having  as  many  as  fifty  canoes  about  them.  The 
Indians  were  delighted  to  exchange  their  fish  for  the 
knives  and  hatchets  which  they  coveted  so  much,  and 
a  red  cap  for  their  chief  sent  them  away  overjoyed. 

Cartier  tried  in  vain  all  the  little  inlets  and  rivers 
opening  out  of  the  Bay  of  Chaleurs  (heats),  to  which 
he  gave  this  name  because  he  found  there  both  the 
weather  and  the  water  .so  warm.  Failing  to  find  any 
passage  like  that  by  which  he  had  entered  the  Gulf, 


u 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


he  sailed  east  and  northward  along  the  coast  of 
Gasp6  Bay.  Here  he  landed  and  set  up  a  large 
wooden  cross,  thirty  feet  high,  carved  with  three 
fleiirs-de-lisy  and  bearing  the  inscription  in  French, 
"  Long  live  the  King  of  France  !  "  By  this  means 
he  formally  took  possession  of  the  land  for  the  King 
of  France. 

In  order  to  impress  the  savages  the  more,  the 
French  knelt  around  the  cross,  and  made  signs,  by 
pointing  to  the  sky,  to  show  that  it  was  connected 
with  the  salvation  of  man.  This  done,  Cartier  and 
his  men  returned  to  their  ships  and  were  visited 
afterwards  by  many  of  the  Indians,  including  the 
chief,  his  brother  and  three  sons.  The  chief  showed 
them,  by  expressive  signs,  that  he  did  not  like  their 
setting  up  the  cross  on  his  territory  without  his  per- 
mission, but  when  they  had  induced  him  to  enter 
their  ships  and  look  at  the  hatchets  and  knives  that 
the  white  men  had  for  trading,  Cartier  easily  per- 
suaded him  that  che  cross  had  been  set  up  merely  as 
a  beacon  to  point  the  way  to  the  harbor. 

Cartier  treated  the  chief  hospitably,  expressing  a 
great  desire  to  make  friends  with  his  people,  and 
promising  to  return,  bringing  many  useful  articles 
made  of  iron  to  exchange  for  furs.  Two  of  the  chief's 
sons  were  persuaded  to  accompany  him  to  France, 
putting  on  with  great  satisfaction  the  new  clothes 
that  Cartier  gave  them,  and  throwing  the  old  ones 
to  their  friends,  who  came  out  to  take  leave  of  them, 
bringing  farewell  gifts  of  fish  in  their  canoes.  Then, 
with  good  will  expressed  on  all  sides,  the  French 
captain  sailed  away  exhorting  the  Indians  to  respect 
the  cross  he  had  set  up  on  the  shore. 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


15 


Head  winds  and  storms  prevented  Carticr  from 
making  any  further  discoveries  on  this  voyage.  He 
just  missed  finding  his  way  into  the  St.  Lawrence  at 
Anticosti,  supposing,  without  full  examination,  that 
the  gulf  there  was  a  great  bay.  When  he  arrived  at 
home  in  September,  his  account  of  his  adventures 
was  eagerly  listened  to.  The  two  young  Indians  he 
had  brought  with  him  were  objects  of  great  interest 
to  the  Bretons  and  were  taught  to  speak  French,  so 
that  they  might  answer  the  questions  which  were 
asked  on  all  sides.  Cartier  received  great  honors  for 
his  discoveries,  and  many  people  in  France  were  most 
anxious  that  he  should  make  a  second  voyage  in 
order  to  extend  them. 

In  spite  of  opposition  they  succeeded  in  organiz- 
ing another  and  a  better  equipped  expedition  than 
the  first.  Great  preparations  were  made  during  the 
winter,  and,  on  a  bright  spring  day —  May  16,  1535 
—  all  St.  Malo  was  astir  to  see  the  great  religious 
ceremonial  which  celebrated  the  departure  of  the 
little  fleet.  Down  in  the  bay  rode  at  anchor  La 
Grande  Hermine,  a  large-sized  ship  for  those  days, 
with  the  two  smaller  vessels  which  were  to  complete 
the  flotilla.  In  these  were  to  go,  besides  the  crews, 
several  members  of  the  French  noblesse.  And  in  the 
old  cathedral  were  assembled  the  officers  and  men  to 
hear  mass  and  to  receive  absolution  and  the  paternal 
blessing  of  the  bishop  on  their  perilous  enterprise  ; 
while  the  Breton  wives,  mothers  and  maidens,  in  their 
picturesque  costumes,  looked  on  in  mingled  pride  and 
anxiety.  Three  days  later  the  flotilla  set  sail  for  the 
setting  sun. 

Scarcely,    however,   had    they   lost    sight   of  the 


i6 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


•;  ! 


Breton  cliffs  when  the  ships  were  scattered  by  a  vio- 
lent storm  It  was  July  before  they  were  collected 
at  the  Strait  of  Belle  Isle,  from  whence  they  coasted 
along  the  bleak  shore  of  Labrador  till  they  entered 
a  small  bay  opposite  the  Isle  of  Anticosti.  It  was 
the  fete  of  St.  Lawrence  when  they  entered  the  gulf, 
and  Cartier  bestowed  that  name  on  the  bay,  from 
whence  it  afterwards  extended  to  the  whole  gulf  and 
thence  to  the  noble  river,  then  called  by  Cartier  the 
River  of  Hochelaga.  The  St.  Lawrence  therefore 
keeps  in  its  name  a  record  of  the  very  day  when  Car- 
tier's  expedition  first  floated  on  its  waters,  after  its 
long  tossing  on  a  stormy  sea. 

Piloted  by  the  young  Indians  who  had  accom- 
panied Cartier  to  France,  the  French  ships  sailed  up 
the  great  unknown  river,  on  which  no  white  wings 
save  those  of  the  sea-gulls  had  ever  appeared  before. 
The  mariners  gazed  with  admiring  interest  at  the 
grand,  somber,  pine-clad  hills  that  seemed  to  guard 
the  approach,  and  at  the  gloomy  gorge  of  the  dark 
Saguenay,  with  huge  rugged  rocks  and  dense  forests. 
They  landed  on  a  long,  low  island  which  they  called 
the  He  mix  Coiidres  on  account  of  the  delicious  filberts 
they  found  there. 

Passing  up  what  is  now  called  St.  Paul's  Bay  and  on 
under  the  frowning  headland  of  Cape  Tourmente,  they 
dropped  anchor  at  last  on  the  lea  of  **  a  fair  island  " 
crowned  with  rich  woods  and  festooned  with  wild 
vines  and  such  abundant  clusters  of  grapes  that  Car- 
tier  ??■?''"  It  the  name  of  the  Isle  of  Bacchus.  We 
k  ,  v.v  i  ^'',  the  beautiful  Island  of  Orleans,  whose 
;  •  i.  ^^  Twss  divides  the  river  below  the  rock  of 
<^;'OL>e: 


THE  UTORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


17 


According  to  their  young  Indian  guides,  the 
country  they  were  now  sailing  through  was  divided 
into  three  territories.  The  first  took  its  name  from 
the  Saguenay,  beginning  at  Anticosti  and  ending 
with  the  He  aux  Coiidres.  The  second  extending 
thence  to  Hochelaga,  the  present  site  of  Montreal, 
was  called  Kanata,  a  Mohawk  word  signifying  a 
village  or  cluster  of  huts.  This  name,  slightly 
changed  into  Canada,  has  widened  its  significance, 
until,  reaching  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  it  in- 
cludes half  a  continent.  The  third  territory,  Hoche- 
laga, was  the  largest,  richest  and  most  populous  of  the 
three,  which  of  course  formed  only  a  small  part  of 
the  country  now  called  Canada. 

As  the  ships  approached  the  shore  and  cast  an- 
chor, the  Indians  could  be  seen  watching  them  with 
great  interest  and  wonder ;  though  doubtless  they 
had  heard  rumors  before,  of  these  wonderful  winged 
canoes  and  pale-faced  visitors.  At  first  they  seemed 
disposed  to  fly,  but  Cartier  sent  ashore  his  two 
young  Indian  pilots.  Doubtless  they  had  many  won- 
derful stories  to  tell  their  people  —  stories  which  must 
have  seemed  to  them  like  tales  from  another  world. 
Very  soon  curiosity  overcame  fear,  and  the  red 
men's  birch  canoes  were  seen  swarming  about  the 
ships,  loaded  with  presents  of  maize,  fruits  and  fish, 
in  return  for  which  Cartier  gave  them  the  gifts 
they  prized  so  much. 

Cartier's  two  young  Indians  could  now  speak 
French  pretty  well,  and  acted  as  interpreters  between 
their  countrymen  and  these  strange  visitors.  The 
Indians  eagerly  examined  the  winged  canoes,  climbed 
into  the  rigging,  and  gazed  in  astonishment  at  the 


f 


x8 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


\ 


faces  and  clothes  of  the  Frenchmen.  Next  day  their 
old  chief  Donnacona  came  in  state  to  visit  Cartier, 
attended  by  a  train  of  twelve  canoes,  full  of  Indians 
in  paint  and  feathers,  with  tomahawks  and  bows  and 
arrows.  He  left  ten  of  his  canoes  at  a  safe  distance, 
and  approaching  the  ships  with  the  other  two  he 
began  a  long  oration,  inquiring  whether  the  strangers 
had  come  for  peace  or  war.  With  the  help  of  his 
interpreters,  Cartier  succeeded  in  reassuring  him, 
and  invited  him  into  his  cabin,  where  he  regaled  him 
before  they  parted,  the  old  chief  kissing  Cartier's 
arm  and  placing  it  round  his  own  neck,  as  the  great- 
est mark  of  respect  he  could  show  him. 

Cartier,  of  course,  was  eager  to  press  on  up  the 
magnificent  river,  which  seemed  to  beckon  him  to 
follow  its  windings.  But  first  he  must  find  a  con- 
venient harbor  for  his  ships.  He  sailed  on  till  he 
reached  the  mouth  of  a  little  river  flowing  into  a 
"  goodly  and  pleasant  sound,"  making  a  sheltered 
haven  at  a  point  which  still  seems  the  fitting  portal 
of  the  fair  Dominion  of  Canada,  Here  the  river- 
became  a  mile-wide  strait.  On  one  side  were  the 
wooded  heights  of  Point  L6vis ;  on  the  other,  rising 
grand  and  sheer  from  the  river,  the  great  brown 
rock  of  Cape  Diamond,  thrusting  rugged  scarped 
cliffs  through  its  fringe  of  stately  trees  out  into  the 
dark  river  below.  As  the  Frenchmen  looked  up  at 
these  rocky  ramparts  towering  above  the  little  Indian 
"  village  "  that  clung  to  their  sides,  as  if  for  protec- 
tion, they  must  have  felt  that  here  was  a  natural  site 
for  a  commanding  fortress.  And,  indeed,  Quebec 
was  destined,  through  centuries  of  struggle,  to  be 
the  key  to  the  possession  of  Canada. 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


19 


'  on  up  the 
kon  him  to 
find  a  con- 
^  on  till  he 
ving  into  a 
a  sheltered 
ting  portal 
the    river- 
were   the 
her,  risino; 
"at   brown 
d    scarped 
't  into  the 
ked  up  at 
tie  Indian 
5r  protec- 
Ltural  site 
>  Quebec 
le,  to  be 


Cartier  moored  his  ships  in  the  little  river,  which 
he  called  the  St.  Croix  —  now  the  St.  Charles — and 
Donnacona  came  with  a  train  of  five  hundred  Indians 
to  welcome  him.  Cartier,  in  his  turn,  landed  to  visit 
Stadacona,  as  the  cluster  of  wigwams  was  called. 
Here  the  French  captain  and  his  friends  were  re- 
ceived with  great  joy  and  cordiality  by  the  inhabi- 
tants, who  were  delighted  to  have  the  opportunity 
of  a  nearer  view,  and  entertained  them  with  their 
Indian  songs  and  dances  —  the  men  and  boys  screech- 
ing out  welcome,  and  the  squaws  dancing  knee-deep 
in  the  water.  Cartier's  gifts  of  gay-colored  beads 
redoubled  their  hilarity,  and  their  joyous  though  dis- 
cordant songs  followed  the  departing  French  as  they 
rowed  out  to  the  ships. 

But  Cartier  had  heard  that  miles  away  up  the 
mighty  river  lay  a  large  Indian  town  called  Hoche- 
laga,  the  capital  of  a  great  country.  Thither  he 
wished  to  proceed,  with  his  two  young  Indian  guides 
as  interpreters.  But  Donnacona  and  the  Indians 
seemed  jealous  of  the  strangers  going  farther  into 
their  country,  and  tried  a  curious  device  for  keeping 
them  back. 

One  morning  the  Frenchmen  saw,  from  their  ships 
lying  at  anchor  in  the  St.  Croix,  a  canoe  containing 
three  strange  figures,  clothed  in  black  and  white 
dog-skins,  with  black  faces  and  long  horns.  One 
of  these,  gazing  straight  before  him,  uttered  a  long 
harangue  in  the  Indian  tongue,  as  they  passed  the 
ships.  Then  as  they  were  paddling  towards  the 
shore,  they  all  fell  flat  down  in  the  canoe. 

The  Indians  on  shore  rushed  down,  screaming,  to 
their  aid,  and  carried  them  off  to  the  woods,  where 


20 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  CARTfER. 


an  earnest  debate  seemed  to  follow;  after  which 
the  Indian  guides  came  to  the  shore,  looking  so 
dismayed  that  Cartier  shouted  to  them,  asking  what 
was  the  matter.  They  replied  that  their  god  Cou- 
douagny  had  sent  to  warn  the  French  against  as- 
cending the  great  river  further,  as  this  would  bring 
them  into  danger  and  disaster  from  storms  and  snow 
and  drifting  ice.  Cartier  only  replied  —  smiling,  no 
doubt,  at  the  simple  device  —  that  Coudouagny  was 
a  fool ;  that  he  could  not  hurt  Christians,  and  that 
they  could  tell  this  to  the  messengers. 

The  Indians  seemed  much  delighted  at  his  cour- 
age, dancing  on  the  beach  to  show  their  satisfaction, 
Cartier,  however,  desired  to  impress  them  still  farther 
with  the  Frenchman's  power,  and  had  a  dozen  of  his 
cannon  loaded  with  bullets  and  fired  into  the  woods. 
As  the  Indians  heard  the  thunder  of  the  great  guns 
reverberating  for  the  first  time  from  the  hills  and 
rocks  which  were  destined  often  to  hear  them  again, 
and  saw  the  destroying  rain  of  bullets  crashing 
through  the  trees,  they  were  overpowered  with 
amazement  and  terror,  and  fled  howling  and  shriek- 
ing far  into  the  forest. 

Cartier  now  laid  up  his  two  larger  ships  in  the 
St.  Charles,  and  in  his  smallest  vessel,  the  Herme- 
rillon,  he  set  sail  again  on  the  noble  river.  The 
September  sunshine  lay  soft  and  golden  on  the 
yellowing  forest,  as  the  little  bark  floated  slowly  on 
between  the  high  wooded  shores.  Cartier  marked 
all  the  features  of  the  scenery  with  keen  eye  and 
eager  observation  ;  the  broad  windings  of  the  river, 
the  strange  luxuriant  foliage  and  clinging  grape- 
vines that  stretched   their  clustered   festoons   from 


R. 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


21 


^ter  which 
ooking  so 
king  what 
god  Cou- 
igainst  as. 
3uld  bring 
\  and  snow 
imiling,  no 
uagny  was 
1,  and  that 

his  cour- 
itisfaction. 
till  farther 
•zen  of  his 
:he  woods, 
jreat  guns 
:  hills  and 
lem  again, 
i  crashing 
ered  with 
nd  shriek- 

ps  in  the 
le  Herme- 
ver.  The 
n  on  the 
slowly  on 
IX  marked 
I  eye  and 
the  river, 
ng  grape- 
ons   from 


tree  to  tree,  the  immense  flocks  of  water-fowl  they 
startled  as  they  passed,  the  bright  plumage  of  the 
golden  oriole,  the  scarlet  soldier-bird  and  the  wood- 
pecker, and  the  novel  notes  of  the  blackbird,  robin 
and  whip-poor-will,  in  which  last  the  imaginative 
Frenchmen  tried  to  believe  that  they  heard  the 
voice  of  the  nightingale  once  more. 

The  galleon  grounded  in  Lake  St.  Peter,  and  from 
thence  the  party  proceeded  in  small  boats,  between 
lower  and  tamer  bunks,  till,  on  the  second  of  Octo- 
ber, they  approached  the  beautiful  forest-crowned 
slopes  of  the  hill  below  which  lay  the  renowned 
Hochelaga.  As  they  drew  near  Indians  thronged 
the  shore,  dancing,  singing,  and  shouting  their  rude 
welcome,  offering  ready  gifts  of  fish  and  maize,  in 
return  for  which  they  joyfully  received  beads  and 
knives.  As  the  early  autumn  dusk  drew  on  bonfires 
blazed  up,  and  they  could  see  the  savages  performing 
their  wild  dances  in  token  of  rejoicing. 

In  the  early  dawn  of  the  third  of  October  Cartier 
landed  with  his  men,  including  the  French  nobles 
who  accompanied  him,  in  all  the  splendor  of  full 
dress  and  martial  accouterments.  The  early  morn- 
ing air  was  sharp  and  clear,  the  ground  crisp  with 
hoar-frost,  the  leaves  fast  turning  to  crimson  and 
gold,  and  the  falling  acorns  were  strewn  along  their 
forest  path. 

They  were  met  on  the  way  by  an  Indian  chief  — 
"  one  of  the  principal  lords  of  the  said  city,"  as  the  old 
story  calls  him — followed  by  a  numerous  train. 
They  were  received  with  the  usual  grave  courtesy  of 
the  red  man,  and  seated  by  a  fire  which  had  been 
kindled  for  their  comfort.     The  chief  made  them  a 


33 


THE  STOKY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


!V. 


long  address  in  his  own  language,  and  received,  with 
much  satisfaction,  the  gifts  of  hatchets,  knives  and 
a  crucifix,  which  he  was  asked  to  kiss,  in  token  of 
respect.  Marching  on  a  little  farther  through  the 
forest,  they  came  out  on  the  cleared  fields  of  yellow, 
rustling  maize  that  encircled  the  Indian  town,  of 
which  nothing  could  be  seen,  at  first,  but  the  pro- 
tecting palisades.  These  were  three  rows  deep, 
after  the  fashion  already  described,  with  rude  defen- 
sive fortifications  and  ammunition  of  stones.  They 
inclosed  about  fifty  large  oblong  huts,  made  of  sap- 
ling poles  and  roofed  with  bark,  each  containing 
several  families  and  several  fires  —  some  of  them 
being  divided  into  several  rooms  surrounding  the 
central  one,  which  contained  the  social  fire,  each 
family  having  also  its  own  fire.  These  fifty  houses 
held  about  a  thousand  or  fifteen  hundred  inhabitants, 
so  that  Hochelaga  was  at  least  a  respectable  village. 

In  the  middle  of  it  was  an  open  square,  about  a 
stone's-throw  in  width,  and  here  Cartier  and  his  com- 
panions held  a  conference  with  the  inhabitants,  who 
swarmed  out  of  their  huts  —  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren—  to  survey  and  touch  the  mysterious  strangers, 
so  unlike  anything  they  had  ever  before  seen  or 
imagined.  The  women  crowded  about  their  visitors 
in  admiration,  even  touching  their  beards  and  mous- 
taches, and  holding  up  their  children  that  they  might 
be  touched  by  these  wonderful  beings.  The  men, 
who  were  smooth-faced  themselves,  thought  the 
beards  and  moustaches  very  ugly,  but  they  could  not 
resist  the  impression  made  by  their  imposing  air, 
manner  and  dress. 

But  the  "  braves  "  called  the  village  to  order,  sent 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


33 


the  women  and  children  indoors,  and  squatted  round 
the  iMcnch  in  rows,  as  if  they  were  going  to  look  at 
a  play.  Then  the  squaws  brought  mats  of  plaited 
rushes  and  laid  them  on  the  ground  for  the  strangers, 
after  which  the  ruling  chief,  a  helpless,  paralyzed  old 
man,  was  carried  out  on  a  deer-skin,  and  laid  down 
at  Cartier's  feet.  A  red  fillet  worked  in  porcupine 
quills,  was  the  only  thing  that  relieved  his  generally 
squalid  appearance,  and  betokened  his  chieftainship. 
He  could  not  make  a  dignified  oration,  like  Donna- 
cona ;  he  could  only  point  to  his  powerless  and 
shrivelled  limbs,  silently  imploring  from  the  white 
strangers  the  touch  in  which  Indian  superstition 
supposed  a  mysterious  healing  power  to  lie.  Cartier 
willingly  fulfilled  the  request,  though  we  are  not  told 
whether  it  did  any  good  ;  and  the  grateful  old  man 
gave  him  his  red  fillet  in  token  of  his  thanks.  A 
throng  of  sick,  lame,  infirm  and  blind  people  then 
crowded  about  the  French  captain  to  share  the  heal- 
ing touch. 

Sorely  puzzled  what  to  do,  Cartier  had  recourse 
to  the  sign  of  the  Cross,  pronouncing  over  his  pa- 
tients a  portion  of  St.  John's  Gospel,  with  a  prayer 
not  only  for  the  healing  of  their  bodies,  but  of  their 
miserable  souls  as  well.  Then  he  read  to  them 
from  his  French  Testament,  which  was  probably 
interpreted  to  them,  the  story  of  the  death  of  Christ, 
to  which  they  listened  with  grave  attention.  After 
that  there  came  what  they  understood  much  better 
— the  distribution  of  gifts;  knives  and  hatchets  for 
the  men,  gay  stiings  of  beads  for  the  women,  and 
for  the  children  little  pewter  figures,  for  which  they 
scrambled   in    glee.     Then   the   trumpeters   gave  a 


24 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


blast  from  their  trumpets  that  at  once  amazed  and 
delighted  their  hosts,  after  which  they  bade  them  a 
cordial  farewell,  filing  out  of  the  village  gates  through 
a  crowd  of  hospitable  squaws,  who  urgently  pressed 
upon  their  departing  visitors  fish,  beans,  corn  and 
other  novel  food,  all  of  which  their  guests  courteously 
declined. 

Before  departing,  however,  Cartier  and  his  friends 
ascended  the  beautiful  hill  above  the  village.  De- 
lighted with  the  magnificent  view  of  broad  river  and 
boundless  forest  and  distant  cloudlike  mountain,  he 
called  the  hill  Mont  Royal — Montreal.  This  name 
it  has  preserved  ever  since  and  as  this  we  know 
the  great  busy  city  that  has  arisen  at  its  base.  As 
Cartier  gazed  wistfully  over  the  unbroken  masses  of 
autumn-dyed  forests  that  stretched  away  unbroken 
to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  the  Indians  who  had  guided 
him  told  him  wonderful  tales  of  the  length  and 
breadth  of  this  great  river  of  Hochelaga,  of  the  vast 
inland  seas  that  lay  beyond  it,  and  of  another  mighty 
river  still  farther  south,  that  wound  down  through 
softer  climes  into  the  land  of  perpetual  summer. 
About  the  gold  and  silver  that  he  most  desired  to 
hear  of,  they  could  tell  him  only  that  copper  was  to 
be  found  up  the  river  Saguenay  below  Quebec. 

Cartier  would  gladly  have  pressed  on  up  the  en- 
ticing river  that  lay  before  him,  past  the  foaming 
rapids  whose  snowy  crests  he  could  see  flashing  to 
westward,  but  he  had  no  means  of  doing  so,  and 
the  season  was  growing  late.  So,  turning  his  back 
en  the  "  Royal  Mountain"  on  which  he  planted  a 
cross  in  token  of  claiming  possession  for  "  His  most 
Christian  Majesty,"  he  and  his  companions  began  to 


-^' 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


as 


retrace  their  way  to  the  ships  and  men  they  had  left 
on  the  St.  Charles.  On  the  way  he  found  some 
Indians  less  friendly  than  those  of  Hochelaga.  He 
and  his  party  were  surprised  while  bivouacking  on 
shore,  and,  but  for  the  intrepid  conduct  of  his  Eng- 
lish boatswain,  might  all  have  been  massacred. 

At  Stadacona  Cartier  was  again  kindly  received 
by  Donnacona  and  the  Indians,  who  had  now  laid  up 
a  store  of  provisions  for  the  long  winter.  His  men 
had  built  a  palisaded  fort  round  their  ships,  and 
after  his  recent  experience,  Cartier  thought  it  well 
to  be  wary  in  dealing  with  the  savages,  whose  friend- 
liness might  not  last,  and  so  strengthened  the  little 
fort  with  some  of  the  guns  from  his  ships. 

But  now  the  face  of  the  country  was  changed 
indeed.  The  winds  howled  through  the  leafless 
forest,  great  masses  of  ice  began  to  drift  down  the 
St.  Lawrence,  and  soon  a  solid  bridge  of  ice  was 
formed  across  the  mile-wide  strait.  As  the  snows 
and  keen  frosts  shut  the  Frenchmen  up  in  their  nar- 
row quarters,  all  they  had  ever  formerly  known  of 
winter  was  mild,  compared  with  what  they  now  ex- 
perienced. Their  ships,  though  not  burned,  like 
those  of  the  ancient  Greeks,  were  frozen  in,  and 
kept  them  prisoners  till  spring.  Heavy  snow-storms 
blocked  up  the  shore,  and  the  river  became  a  dead 
white  expanse  of  firm,  snow-sheeted  ice.  Their 
ships,  as  well  as  the  forest  pines,  glittered  in  a  pano- 
ply of  dazzling  snow  and  sparkling  ice,  the  hulls 
deep  buried  in  snowdrifts,  the  masts,  spars  and  cord- 
age encased  in  glittering  ice  and  gleaming  with 
fringes  of  hanging  icicles,  while  the  bulwarks  were 
crusted  with  four  feet  of  icy  mail. 


26 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER, 


The  shivering  Frenchmen,  accustomed  to  the 
sunny  mildness  of  Southern  France,  and  unprovided 
with  warm  clothing,  clung  to  the  protection  of  their 
ships  and  tried  to  keep  themselves  warm  beside 
their  fires.  The  Indians  occasionally  visited  them, 
coming,  as  Cartier  says  in  his  journal,  "  like  so  many 
beasts,  wading,  half-naked,  in  the  snow,"  showing 
powers  of  endurance  which  the  "pale-faces"  must 
have  thought  wonderful.  The  savages,  on  the  whole, 
seem  to  have  treated  them  kindly  and  shared  with 
them  their  winter  stores. 

But  a  worse  foe  than  cold  now  attacked  the  un- 
fortunate explorers.  The  terrible  scurvy  broke  out 
among  them,  and  spread  until  out  of  the  whole  band 
of  a  hundred  and  ten,  only  three  or  four  healthy 
men  were  left  to  wait  on  the  sick.  The  poor  suf' 
ferers  lay  in  hopeless  misery  —  no  doubt  thinking 
sadly  of  fair  France  and  the  homes  and  friends  they 
might  never  see  again.  Twenty-six  died  before 
April,  and  the  survivors,  too  weak  to  break  through 
the  ice-bound  soil,  buried  the  dead  in  the  snow-drifts 
till  spring  should  return.  Their  case  grew  more  and 
more  hopeless.  Prayers  to  the  Saints  seemed  fruit- 
less, and  on  the  very  day  of  a  solemn  procession  in 
honor  of  the  Virgin,  a  fresh'  victim  died.  Still 
Cartier  did  not  lose  his  faith  in  God,  who,  as  he  said, 
"  looked  down  in  pity  upon  us  and  sent  to  us  a 
knowledge  of  the  means  of  cure,"  in  an  unexpected 
way. 

He  had  been  so  much  afraid  lest  the  Indians 
should  take  advantage  of  their  weak  state  to  attack 
them  that  he  had  ordered  his  men  to  make  all  the 
noise  tney  could  with  sticks  and  stones,  so  that  they 


^w.ii«i.M.. 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


27 


might  be  supposed  well  and  hard  at  work.  But  one 
of  these  poor  savages  was  made  the  means  of  saving 
them.  One  of  their  young  guides,  called  Doregaya, 
who  had  himself  been  suffering  from  scurvy  and  had 
recovered,  told  Cartier  of  the  remedy  which  had 
cured  him  —  a  decoction  from  an  evergreen  called 
Ameda,  supposed  to  have  been  the  spruce  fir.  The 
sick  men  eagerly  tried  it,  and  drank  it  in  such  quan- 
tities, that  in  six  days  they  had  boiled  down  a  tree 
as  large  as  a  French  oak  ;  and  very  soon  all  the 
invalids  were  restored  to  health,  courage  aad  hope. 

But  at  last  the  great  snow-drifts  melted  away  un- 
der the  warm  spring  sunshine,  the  ice  slowly  broke 
up,  and  the  blue  water,  sparkling  in  the  sunshine, 
gladdened  the  eyes  of  the  imprisoned  French.  Car- 
tier  and  his  men  joyfully  prepared  for  departure;  but 
in  leaving  the  country  he  committed  a  base  and  un- 
grateful act  of  treachery.  During  the  winter  he 
had  heard  strange  stories  from  the  Indians,  of  a 
region  where  gold  and  rubies  might  be  found,  of 
a  white  race  like  his  own,  of  another  able  to  exist 
without  food,  and  of  still  another  created  with  but 
one  leg. 

Cartier  wanted  to  take  home  some  trophies  of 
his  enterprise,  and  to  have  his  strange  stories  con- 
firmed. And  as  the  chief,  Donnacona,  had  traveled 
far  and  professed  to  have  seen  many  wonders,  Cartier 
conceived  the  wicked  project  of  carrying  off  by  force 
Donnacona  and  some  of  his  braves.  So,  having  de- 
coyed them  on  board  his  ships  he  set  sail  with  them, 
first  attaching  the  French  flag  to  a  great  cross  which 
he  had  set  up  on  the  shore.  This  cruel  and  false 
act,  done  under  the  shadow  of  the  sacred  emblem, 


28 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


was  a  foul  stain  on  the  honor  of  the  brave  explorer, 
and,  like  most  such  actions,  brought  its  just  recom- 
pense in  future  disaster. 

It  was  five  years  before  Cartier  again  saw  the 
shores  of  the  New  World.  France  was  distracted 
by  wars  abroad  and  religious  persecutions  at  home, 
and  the  project  of  a  third  expedition  met  with  little 
favor.  The  terrors  of  the  severe  winter,  the  death 
of  so  many  of  the  exploring  party,  and  the  lack  of 
success  in  finding  gold  and  silver,  caused  much  oppo- 
sition to  the  expenditure  of  more  money  —  and  per- 
haps of  life  —  in  what  seemed  a  fruitless  undertaking. 
But  there  were  some  who  saw  the  advantage  of 
opening  a  large  fur  trade  with  the  savages,  and  who 
urged  that  Spain  and  Portugal  should  not  be  allowed 
to  have  all  the  spoils  of  the  New  World  to  them- 
selves. 

At  last  a  great  French  noble,  the  Sieur  de  Rober- 
val,  asked  the  king  to  make  him  governor  of  all 
the  newly  discovered  countries,  with  the  right  of 
raising  a  band  of  volunteers  to  found  a  colony ;  one 
of  the  objects  of  which  was  stated  to  be  the  con- 
version of  the  Indians,  as  "  men  without  knowledge 
of  God  or  use  of  reason."  Yet  Carrier,  who  was 
made  commander  of  the  expedition,  was  allowed  to 
take  many  of  his  "colonists"  out  of  the  French 
prisons.  As  the  same  error  was  frequently  repeated 
in  the  French  attempts  to  colonize  Canada,  it  is  not 
surprising  that  the  French  trappers  and  half-breeds 
should  often  have  been  a  wild  and  lawless  race. 

The  Spanish  cr'neror,  who  claimed  all  the  country 
between  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  the  North  Pole, 
under  the  name  of  Florida,  made  all  the  opposition 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  CAR  TIER. 


39 


he  could  to  the  execution  of  this  project.  But  at 
last  the  little  squadron  of  five  ships  lay  ready  to 
start,  under  the  old  port  of  St.  Malo,  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  some  artillery  from  Roberval.  Tired  of  his 
weary  waiting,  Cartier  set  sail,  leaving  Roberval  to 
follow.  Again  the  squadron  was  dispersed  by 
storms,  and  again  the  ships  were  reunited  at  New- 
foundland. As  Roberval's  vessels  were  not  yet  to 
be  seen,  Cartier  once  more  entered  the  Gulf,  passed 
the  great,  somber,  pine-clad  hills,  the  dark  gorge  of 
the  Saguenay,  the  snowy  sheet  of  Montmorency, 
and  the  rich  woods  of  the  Isle  of  Orleans,  and  again 
cast  anchor  under  the  grand  rock  of  Quebec.  The 
Stadacena  Indians  came  quickly  out  in  their  canoes, 
anxious  to  see  again  the  faces  of  their  long-absent 
friends.  Alas!  all  had  died  in  France  —  probably  of 
homesickness.  Cartier  was  afraid  to  tell  the  truth, 
so  he  said  that  Donnacona  was  dead,  but  that  the 
others  had  married  grand  ladies  in  France,  and  lived 
there  in  state,  like  great  lords.  The  Indians  said 
little,  but  they  probably  disbelieved  the  story,  for 
they  showed  themselves  averse  to  further  inter- 
course with  the  French  and  to  their  settlement 
among  them. 

Finding  that  this  was  the  case  at  Stadacena,  Car- 
tier  sailed  some  nine  miles  farther  up  the  St.  Law- 
rence to  Cap  Rouge,  a  reddish  headland  where  the 
high  bank  of  the  river  divides  to  let  a  little  river  run 
out  through  a  green,  sheltered  glade.  Here  the 
party  landed,  explored  the  wooded  heights  and  the 
shady  lea,  picked  up  sparkling  quartz  crystals  which 
they  took  for  diamonds,  found  a  slate  quarry,  some 
glittering  yellow  dust  which  to  them  was  'gold  but 


30 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  CARTIER. 


I        I 


li? 


which  was  probably  sand  mixed  with  mica,  and  slen- 
der shining  scales  of  the  mica  alone. 

They  rested  from  their  toil  in  the  August  heat 
under  the  shade  of  the  great  forest  trees  and  inter- 
lacing grape-vines,  and  decided  to  plant  their  colony 
on  the  heights  of  Cap  Rouge.  All  were  soon  busily 
at  work  clearing  the  forest  and  sowing  turnip  seed, 
building  forts  ^nd  'king  roads;  while  Cartier,  leav- 
ing the  Vicomte  do  Beaupre  in  command,  went  on 
with  two  boats  to  explore  the  river  above  Hoche- 
laga.     But  the  bright   flashing  rapids  he  had  seen 

from  Mont  Royal    '■ :A  an  impassable  barrier,  so 

he  returned  to  Cna:-:^'  -g  Royal,  as  they  had 
grandly  named  the  seulement  to  find  ^hat  there  was 
no  news  yet  c:  Robc,fvaI.  and  -■*'  the  Indians  still 
kept  aloof. 

Once  deceived,  they  would  not  trust  the  French- 
men again.  A  cold,  dreary  winter  followed,  with 
justly  estranged  Indians  around  them  and  bitter  cold 
chilling  their  blood  and  depressing  their  spirits  in 
this  lonely  and  savage  spot.  And  as  soon  as  spring 
returned,  the  disheartened  "colonists"  hastened  to 
set  sail  and  return  to  France. 

On  their  way  back  they  passed  a  fleet  of  fifteen 
fishing  vessels  lying  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  St. 
John's,  Newfoundland,  among  which  Cartier  suddenly 
descried  the  long-expected  ships  of  Roberval.  Un- 
foreseen obstacles  had  delayed  him,  and  as  he  had 
supposed  that  by  this  time  the  colony  was  fully 
established,  his  surprise  and  anger  were  great  when 
he  found  it  on  its  way  homeward.  He  ordered 
Cartier  to  turn  back.  But  Cartier  seemed  to  have 
had   enough    of   the   projected    colony,   and,    under 


THE  STORY  OF  JACQUES  C ARTIER. 


3» 


cover  of  the  darkness,  he  escaped  with  his  vessels, 
leaving  Roberval  to  pursue  his  way  and  found  his 
colony  alone. 

Cartier  had  nothing,  this  time,  to  show,  save  his 
quartz  diamonds,  scales  of  mica  and  yellow  dust. 
However,  he  received  a  patent  of  nobility  for  his 
discoveries,  and  seems  to  have  settled  down  quietly 
in  his  little  manor-house  near  St.  Malo.  Some  say 
that  he  made  a  fourth  voyage  to  Canada  to  bring 
back  the  luckless  colonists  of  Roberval.  He  was, 
on  the  whole,  a  brave  and  j^allant  explorer,  and  his 
name  must  always  be  honored  as  the  discoverer  of 
Canada.  Both  name  and  fame  would  have  been 
brighter  but  for  that  cruel  act  of  treachery  to  his 
Indian  friends,  which  so  seriously  interfered  with 
the  success  of  the  attempted  colony  and  which  was 
wiped  out  in  after  years  only  by  some  of  the  best 
blood  of  France.     So  true  is  it  that 


"  The  evil  that  men  do  lives  after  them." 


is! 


!'~ 

;i 

|1 

l-. 

s*> 

''^- 

:  V 

i*, 

■ 

1 

i 

*■ 

^ 

tiii 

i-  t  ■ 

t' 

{'■'  ■ 

w 
lit 

CHAPTER   III. 

THE  STORY   OF    MARGUERITE   DE   ROBERVAL. 

THE  Sieur  de  Roberval,  whom  King  Francis 
the  First  had  appointed  Viceroy  of  Canada, 
was  one  of  the  most  powerful  of  the  French  noblesse. 
He  had  great  estates  in  Picardy  and  lived  in  state 
in  his  castle  there,  ruling  his  vassals  like  a  king. 
Indeed,  Francis,  who  highly  esteemed  him  for  his 
brave  and  faithful  service,  used  to  call  him  the 
"little  king  of  Vimeu."  He  was  a  very  stern  and 
determined  man,  and  could  treat  very  cruelly  any 
one  who  resisted  his  will. 

He  had  warmly  taken  up  the  project  of  founding 
a  colony  and  a  fur  trade  in  the  New  World,  and 
aspired  to  become  ruler  of  these  great  unexplored 
lands  discovered  by  Cartier.  The  king  granted  his 
request,  and  authorized  him  to  establish  a  colony  in 
Canada,  as  the  new  country  was  now  called,  making 
him,  at  the  same  time,  viceroy  of  all  the  French  pos- 
sessions in  the  New  World.  He  also  received  many 
high-sounding  titles,  taken  from  the  names  of  the 
lands  he  was  to  rule.  He  was  styled  Lord  of  Nor- 
embega,  Viceroy  and  Lieutenant-General  in  Canada, 
Hochelaga,  Saguenay,  Newfoundland,  Belle  Isle, 
Carpunt,  Labrador,  the  Great  Bay  and  Baccalaos. 
"The  Great  Bay"  was  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence, 
Belle  Isle  and  Carpunt  meant  the  straits  and  islands 

3* 


MARGUERITE  DE  ROBERVAL. 


53 


in 


between  Labrador  and  Newfoundland  ;  Baccalaos,  or 
"the  Codfish  country,"  was  the  name  given  to  New- 
foundland itself ;  and  Norembega  comprised  part  of 
what  are  now  called  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick 
and  Maine.  Roberval  also  received  money  enough 
to  buy  and  equip  the  five  vessels  which  Cartier  com- 
manded. With  these  and  his  colonists,  who  were 
chiefly,  as  has  been  said,  convicts  from  French  pris- 
ons, Roberval  proposed  to  settle  the  country,  and  to 
convert  the  Indians  to  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God. 

In  Roberval' s  French  castle  had  grown  up  his 
young  niece.  Marguerite  de  Roberval.  She  had 
been  brought  up  like  most  French  girls  of  her  time 
—  educated  in  a  quiet  convent,  from  whence  she 
came  to  take  her  place  in  her  uncle's  little  court, 
and  her  share  in  all  the  gayeties  and  festivities  usual 
in  the  homes  of  the  French  noblesse.  She  was  a 
brave,  high-spirited  girl,  delighting  to  join  in  the 
gay  hunting  parties  of  the  time,  and  able  to  shoulder 
and  use  an  arquebuse,  as  their  guns  were  called, 
almost  as  well  as  a  cavali'ir.  When  Roberval  at  last 
was  able  to  follow  Cartier  with  his  own  party,  he 
took  with  him  the  tair  Marguerite,  who  was  doubt- 
less a  favorite  with  him  on  account  of  her  courage 
and  daring. 

But  among  the  young  cavaliers  of  Picardy  there 
was  one  who  loved  Marguerite,  and  whom  Marguerite 
loved  in  return.  For  some  reason,  perhaps  because 
he  was  too  poor  to  marry,  this  young  cavalier  dared 
not  ask  Roberval  to  give  him  Marguerite  for  his 
wife ;  but  when  he  found  that  she  must  accompany 
her  uncle  across  the  sea  he  resolved  to  go  too,  and 
for  love  of  her,  volunteered   to   join   the  viceroy's 


34 


MAKGUERITE  DE  KOBERVAL. 


expedition.  They  set  sail,  accordingly,  but  during 
the  long  voyage  Roberval  discovered  the  lovers' 
secret,  and  was  so  enraged  with  both  for  deceiving 
him,  that  he  devised  for  his  niece  a  terrible  punish- 
ment. 

Near  the  shore  of  Newfoundland  was  a  solitary 
island,  called  the  Isle  of  Demons,  because  it  was 
said  to  be  haunted  by  evil  spirits,  whose  despairing 
moans  could  be  heard  through  the  wailing  of  the 
wind  and  the  surging  of  the  waves  on  the  rock- 
bound  shore.  The  sailor,  in  passing  it,  would  cross 
himself  and  mutter  a  prayer  for  help  as  he  listened 
to  the  unearthly  sounds.  On  this  wild  and  lonely 
isle  Roberval,  refusing  to  listen  to  prayers  and  inter- 
cessions, landed  poor  Marguerite  with  the  old  nurse 
who  accompanied  her,  and  with  four  guns,  as  a  means 
of  defense  from  their  enemies  and  of  procuring 
necessary  food. 

When  Marguerite's  lover  saw  her  thus  abandoned 
on  that  desolate  shore,  he  threw  himself  into  the 
sea,  burdened  with  his  own  two  guns  and  some  ammu- 
nition, and,  being  a  strong  swimmer,  safely  reached 
the  shore.  After  this  rough  marriage  the  lovers 
were  left  to  their  own  resources,  amid  the  wild  soli- 
tude of  a  savage  nature.  It  was  a  strange  way  for 
a  young  couple  to  begin  housekeeping.  With  sink- 
ing hearts  they  watched  the  white  sails  of  Roberval's 
ships  disappear  below  the  horizon,  vainly  hoping 
that  the  stern  viceroy  might  relent  and  return.  But 
they  hoped  in  vain,  and  these  involuntary  settlers 
had  to  make  the  best  of  the  situation.  Happily  it 
was  summer  time,  though  the  summer  is  never  very 
warm  in  those  northern  latitudes.     The  days  were 


i 

V   I? 


MARGUERITE  DE  ROBERVAL. 


35 


long,  and  wild  fowl  were  abundant,  while  bears 
and  other  wild  animals  might  occasionally  be  shot. 
Marguerite  and  her  lover  contrived  in  this  way  to 
procure  food,  as  well  as  to  secure  a  supply  of  skins 
for  warm  clothing,  when  the  winter  winds  should 
blow  furiously  about  the  bleak  island. 

They  built  such  a  shelter  as  they  could  frame  of 
poles  and  interwoven  branches,  for  they  could  not 
tell  how  long  they  might  be  left  in  their  exile  ;  and 
this  was  the  first  European  family  home  of  which  we 
know  in  Canada.  Perhaps,  when  the  first  shock  was 
over.  Marguerite  and  her  husband  would  be  able  to 
laugh  over  their  adventures,  and  their  little  devices 
to  make  their  life  more  comfortable ;  even  to  sing 
snatches  of  the  gay  simple  songs  of  France,  as 
together  they  wove  the  boughs  into  a  wall  for  their 
dwelling,  or  prepared  the  game  they  shot  for  their 
table,  or  made  the  skins  into  clothes  and  blankets. 
But  the  wildness  and  the  solitude  must  have  told 
heavily  on  their  spirits,  and  at  night,  when  the  storm 
howled  about  them,  the  old  stories  of  the  demons 
supposed  to  haunt  the  island  would  recur  to  their 
minds  and  make  them  tremble  with  superstitious 
fears.  And  when  bears  and  other  wild  animals, 
driven  by  hunger,  came  crashing  through  the  brush- 
wood and  tried  to  tear  down  the  frail  shelter,  even 
the  brave  Marguerite  would  shudder  and  grow  pale, 
and  cling  closer  to  the  lover  for  whose  sake  she  had 
been  cast  out  into  this  savage  wilderness.  And  she 
would  pray  for  heavenly  succor  from  these  unseen 
enemies,  whether  fiends  or  wild  beasts,  and  ever 
some  guarding  protection  seemed  to  interpose,  and 
their  poor  little  dwelling  was  left  uninjured. 


36 


■HHI 


MARGUERITE  DE  ROBERVAL, 


' 


':! 


After  a  time  a  little  child  was  born  to  Marguerite 
in  this  lonely  abode.  The  wild  wailing  winds  sang 
the  mournful  cradle-song  of  the  poor  little  baby, 
often  drowning  the  lullabies  its  mother  tried  to  sing, 
for  Marguerite  kept  up  a  brave  heart  through  all  the 
terrors  of  this  dreadful  solitude.  But  her  husband 
seems  to  have  possessed  less  power  of  endurance. 
The  utter  loneliness,  the  absence  of  all  social  pleas- 
ures or  stimulus  to  effort  told  severely  on  the  health 
and  spirits  of  the  poor  young  cavalier.  The  pain  of 
seeing  Marguerite  deprived  of  all  the  comforts  and 
enjoyments  to  which  she  had  been  accustomed,  and 
battling  for  her  life  and  the  life  of  her  babe  in 
this  savage  wilderness,  weighed  heavily  on  his 
heart. 

By  degrees  the  poor  young  man,  heart-broken  and 
despairing,  gave  way  to  the  depressing  influences 
that  surrounded  him,  and  became  an  easy  prey  to 
disease.  Marguerite,  ere  long,  had  to  look  her  last 
on  his  cold  insensiW  form,  and  to  feel  that  her  only 
human  stay  was  taken  from  her.  Soon  the  baby  fol- 
lowed its  father,  and,  after  a  time,  the  old  nurse,  too, 
sickened  and  died,  in  this  wild,  inhospitable  land. 
Then  Marguerite,  having  buried  with  her  own  hands 
husband,  baby,  nurse,  was  left  utterly  alone.  Still 
the  poor  girl,  sad  and  solitary  as  she  was,  lived  on, 
and  tried  to  keep  up  a  brave  heart,  procuring  food 
with  her  gun,  and  replacing  her  worn-out  clothing 
from  the  skins  of  the  beasts  she  shot,  till  she  must 
have  looked  like  a  female  Robinson  Crusoe.  She 
still  kept  up  the  hope  of  possible  rescue,  and  spent 
many  an  hour  in  watching  the  lonely  expanse  of  sea, 
to  espy,  perchance,  some  distant  sailing  vessel  which 


MARGUERITE  DE  ROHERVAL. 


37 


might  float  down  with  its  white  wings  and  carry  her 
off  from  her  sea-girt  prison. 

Sometimes,  in  the  dark  stormy  nights  that  were 
so  frequent,  Marguerite,  overpowered  by  the  utter 
solitude,  and  impressed  with  a  dread  of  supernatural 
enemies,  would  imagine  that  she  heard  fiendish 
laughter,  and  that  malignant  spirits  were  pursuing 
her  with  savage  fury.  At  such  times  she  would 
murmur  a  prayer  for  protection,  putting  her  trust  in 
Heaven,  alone.  When  the  foes  were  only  wild  ani- 
mals, such  as  bears  or  wolves,  she  could  meet  them 
with  mortal  weapons,  and  brought  down  with  her 
gun  three  large  white  bears  at  least,  as  trophies  of 
her  skill.  When  the  bitter  winter  winds  raved 
about  the  island,  and  the  keen  cold  penetrr  >cd  every 
crevice  of  the  poor  shelter,  Marguerite  would  pile 
upon  her  fire  all  the  wood  she  could  collect,  and, 
wrapping  herself  in  her  fur  blankets,  would  sink 
exhausted  into  a  troubled  sleep.  1  lUis  she  would 
lose  a  little  of  the  sense  of  present  misery  and  deso- 
lation in  dreams  of  sunny  France  and  the  old  baronial 
home  in  Picardy,  and  the  woods  through  which  she 
had  been  wont  to  ride  in  free  and  careless  happiness 
with  gallant  cavaliers  at  hand  ready  to  fulfill  her 
lightest  wish.  It  must  have  been  a  strange  awaken- 
ing from  such  dreams  to  find  herself  alone  in  what 
was  literally  a  howling  wilderness. 

Still  she  watched  all  day  long  for  the  welcome 
gleam  of  a  distant  sail.  Two  summers  had  thus 
passed  away  in  her  sea-girt  prison,  and  the  third 
winter  was  already  upon  her  when,  at  last,  as  she 
scanned  the  horizon  with  an  almost  hopeless  gaze,  a 
sail  appeared  in  the  distance.     Sails  had  sometimes 


w 


I, 


38 


MARGUERITE  DE  RODERVAL. 


fl. 


SH 


done  this  before,  always  to  disappear  again,  and  leave 
her  in  the  sickness  of  hope  deferred.  But  she  hastily 
heaped  upon  her  fire  all  the  fuel  she  could  collect, 
so  that  the  curling  column  of  smoke  might  be  the 
more  distinctly  visible. 

The  sail  was  that  of  a  fishing  bark ;  it  drew 
nearer  and  nearer.  The  crew  were  startled  at  see- 
ing the  smoke  rising  from  these  lonely  rocks,  and 
began  to  think  it  a  trick  of  the  fiends  to  lure  them 
to  the  haunted  shore  for  their  destruction.  They 
crossed  themselves,  and  muttered  prayers  for  help, 
but  though  afraid  to  approach  the  island,  curiosity 
was  stronger  than  fear,  and  as  they  cautiously  came 
nearer  they  could  discern  a  female  figure  in  strange 
attire,  making  eager  signals  from  the  shore.  When 
at  last  they  reached  it,  they  found  Marguerite  all  but 
fainting  from  the  sudden  joy  of  almost  despaired-of 
rescue.  Scarcely  could  she  explain  to  them  who  she 
was,  and  how  she  came  thither.  The  lonely  weather- 
beaten  exile  was  sadly  changed  from  the  bright, 
lively  French  maiden  who  had  been  landed  there  to 
meet  so  cruel  a  fate.  It  was  wonderful  that  she 
should  have  lived  to  tell  her  strange  story.  The 
rough  sailors  pitied  her,  and  did  all  they  could  for 
her  comfort ;  and  when  they  returned  to  France 
they  took  her  with  them ;  so  that,  at  last,  after  nearly 
three  years  of  absence  and  imprisonment,  Marguerite 
saw  her  native  land  and  home  again.  Kind  friends 
greeted  her.  They  tried  to  console  her  and  blot  out 
the  memory  of  all  she  had  suffered  during  those 
lonely  years  on  the  Isle  of  Demons. 

A  great  traveler  named  Thevet,  who  was  a  friend 
of  M.  de  Roberval,  saw  Marguerite  in  France  and 


'1 


MARGUERITE  DE  ROBERVAL. 


39 


heard  from  herself  the  whole  story  of  her  strange 
adventures  when  it  had  become  to  her  almost  like 
the  memory  of  a  troubled  dream.  But  so  long  as 
she  lived  no  doubt  she  had  many  strange  stories  to 
relate  of  her  life  on  the  haunted  island. 

In  the  meantime,  Marguerite's  stern  uncle  was 
not  faring  very  well  in  carrying  out  his  own  plans. 
After  leaving  his  niece  in  her  island  prison,  M.  de 
Roberval  pursued  his  course  up  the  St.  Lawrence, 
and  reached  the  heights  of  Cap  Rouge,  where  Cartier 
had  spent  the  previous  winter,  and  where  his  two 
forts  were  standing  deserted  in  the  wilderness.  The 
viceroy  was  a  stern  disciplinarian,  and  under  his 
imperious  command  all  his  motley  crew  were  soon 
hard  at  work — officers,  soldiers,  artisans,  and  even 
the  women  and  children.  Their  united  labor  soon 
raised  a  formidable  though  rudely  finished  castle 
on  the  bold  height  overlooking  the  St.  Lawrence  in 
front,  and  the  Cap  Rouge  river  on  the  right.  It  had 
two  tov/ers,  two  great  halls,  a  big  kitchen  and  sleep- 
ing apartments  for  the  whole  colony,  as  well  as 
workshops,  cellars,  and  even  two  mills  turned  by 
water. 

But  unfortunately  food  was  very  scanty  or  almost 
entirely  lacking,  and  when  the  stores  they  brought 
with  them  were  exhausted,  there  was  no  means  of 
replenishing  them.  Very  soon  there  was  no  grain 
to  crush  in  the  mill,  no  bread  to  bake  in  the  oven. 
Two  of  the  ships  had  already  sailed  for  France  be- 
fore they  had  discovered  their  impoverished  condi- 
tion, and  even  had  they  known  in  time,  the  ships 
could  not  have  returned  before  winter. 

The  time  of  severe  cold  drew  on,  and  found  the 


'f  J  ■■"■ 


?': 


40 


MARGUERITE  DE  ROBERVAL, 


colonists  half  starving.  They  made  what  shift  they 
could  to  support  life :  bought  all  the  fish  the  Indians 
could  supply,  and  even  dug  up  roots  and  boiled  them 
in  whale  oil.  To  add  to  their  misery,  the  terrible 
St urvy  carried  off  a  third  of  the  colony  before  spring ; 
and  wretchedness  and  starvation  naturally  nourished 
quarrels  and  discontent.  The  miserable  and  undis- 
ciplined colonists  became  sullen,  mutinous  and  dis- 
orderly, and  Roberval  sternly  met  disorder  with  swift 
and  severe  punishment.  For  slight  thefts,  starving 
men  were  hanged  or  kept  in  irons,  and  quarrels  were 
punished  at  the  whipping-post.  Discontented  or 
mutinous  soldiers  were  promptly  hanged  as  an  exam- 
ple ;  six  of  the  viceroy's  own  favorites  being  thus 
executed  in  one  day.  Other  offenders  were  shot, 
while  others  were  banished,  like  Marguerite,  to  a 
desert  island,  or  kept  prisoners  in  chains.  Even  the 
jealous  and  suspicious  Indians  were  touched  by  the 
miseries  of  these  unhappy  colonists. 

After  two  unsuccessful  expeditions  —  the  one  to 
search  for  gold  and  precious  stones  in  the  country  of 
the  Saguenay,  and  the  other  to  explore  the  coast  of 
Newfoundland,  with  the  object  of  discovering  the 
coveted  short  passage  to  the  East  Indies  —  Roberval 
was  by  no  means  sorry  to  have  a  good  excuse  for 
giving  up  his  ill-fated  enterprise. 

King  Francis,  who  relied  much  on  Roberval's 
abilities  and  courage,  sent  Cartier,  it  is  said,  to  bring 
him  back  to  France,  and,  disgusted  with  his  experi- 
ence of  his  viceroyalty,  he  willingly  returned.  Some 
say  that,  in  after  years,  he  tried  to  re-establish  him- 
self in  his  American  kingdom,  but  lost  his  life  in  the 
attempt.     It  is  more  probable  that,  as  others  tell  us, 


MARGUERITE  DE  ROBERVAL. 


41 


he  was  assassinated  at  Paris,  in  a  time  of  trouble  and 
disorder,  his  own  violent  nature  thus  meeting  a  vio- 
lent and  premature  end.  But  the  colony  he  at- 
tempted to  found  turned  out,  under  his  auspices,  a 
miserable  and  ignominious  failure. 


til' 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  MARQUIS  DE  LA  ROCHE  AND  HIS  FORTY 

THIEVES. 

MORE  than  half  a  century  had  passed  away, 
after  the  wretched  winter  at  Cap  Rouge  and 
the  return  of  Roberval,  before  any  new  attempt  was 
made  to  colonize  Canada.  During  all  that  time,  the 
old  primeval  forest  was  left  to  its  original  inhabitants 
—  the  wild  creatures  who  roamed  the  wilderness  or 
swam  in  the  stream,  and  the  scarcely  less  wild  Indians 
who  hunted  them.  The  young  braves  who  had  danced 
round  Cartier  at  Stadacena  and  Hochelaga,  had  be- 
come old  men  or  had  passed  away.  Many  a  time, 
doubtless,  had  they  told  by  the  camp-fire,  in  the  long 
winter  evenings,  the  story  of  the  great  white-winged 
canoes  which  had  once  come  so  far  up  their  beauti- 
ful river,  carrying  the  imposing  but  deceitful  "pale- 
faces "  who  had  sojourned  among  them  for  a  space, 
and  had  then  disappeared  into  the  unseen  and  mys- 
terious region  from  whence  they  had  come. 

France,  indeed,  had,  in  the  meantime,  been  absorbed 
and  distracted  by  matters  which  these  poor  Indians 
could  have  little  understood.  There  came  a  long  and 
sharp  struggle  with  Spain  and  Austria,  and  a  religious 
war  of  extermination  against  French  Protestants  in 
the  name  of  the  religion  of  love  and  peace.  This 
had    reached    its    climax    in   the    Massacre    of    St. 

42 


THE  MARQUIS  DE  LA   ROCHE. 


43 


Bartholomew.  Four  kings  had  in  turn  succeeded 
Francis  the  First  on  the  French  throne :  Henry 
the  Second,  Henry  the  Third,  Charles  the  Ninth, 
and  Henry  the  Fourth. 

During  all  this  time,  however,  the  New  World  was 
not  forgotten.  The  great  and  good  Admiral  Coligny, 
who,  along  with  many  of  the  best  and  bravest  sons  of 
France,  fell  in  that  frightful  massacre,  had  hoped  to 
find  for  the  French  Protestants  in  this  New  World, 
what  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  found  in  it  later  ;  "  freedom 
to  worship  God  "  according  to  their  consciences.  A 
Huguenot  colony  was  indeed  planted  in  Florida,  only 
to  suffer  at  the  hands  of  the  cruel  and  bigoted  Span- 
iards, who  massacred  in  cold  blood  hundreds  of  French 
Protestants. 

All  Frenchmen,  however,  had  not  forsaken  Canada. 
The  Norman,  Basque  and  Breton  fishermen  were 
still  busily  plying  along  its  northern  coasts  their  rug- 
ged but  profitable  occupation  of  codfishing  and  whal- 
ing ;  and  in  one  year  as  many  as  a  hundred  and  fifty 
French  fishing-vessels  visited  the  coast  of  Newfound- 
land alone.  They  did  not,  however,  confine  them- 
selves to  fishing,  but  found  that  it  was  still  more 
profitable  to  secure  the  skins  of  seals  and  bisons,  or 
to  trade  with  the  Indians  for  bear  and  beaver  skins, 
as  they  coasted  along  the  Gulf.  Cartier's  nephews, 
who  were  engaged  in  this  sort  of  traffic,  tried  to  get 
from  the  king  the  right  to  monopolize  it  for  twelve 
years.  But  the  merchants  of  St.  Malo  raised  such 
an  outcry  about  it  that,  after  granting  it,  the  king 
had  to  take  it  back  ;  only,  however,  to  give  it  to  a 
stronger  applicant. 

This  was  a  Breton  noble,  the  Marquis  de  la  Roche, 


44 


THE  MARQUIS  DE  LA   ROCHE. 


Ell 


w 


another  powerful  favorite  of  the  king.  He  took  up 
Roberval's  unsuccessful  project,  and,  like  him,  was 
declared  Lieutenant-General  of  Canada,  Hochelaga, 
Newfoundland,  Labrador  and  all  adjoining  countries, 
with  much  pompous  declaration  as  to  the  absolute 
powers  conferred  on  him.  He  was  authorized  to  seize 
and  impress,  in  any  French  port,  any  ships  and  sail- 
ors that  he  needed,  to  make  and  enforce  laws,  build 
towns,  forts  and  castles,  and  grant  seigniories, 
counties  and  baronies.  Like  Roberval,  the  new 
viceroy  collected  most  of  his  emigrants  from  the 
criminals  and  desperadoes  of  the  French  prisons ; 
and  packed  his  motley  company  in  a  ship  so  small 
that  the  passengers  could  lean  over  the  side  and 
wash  their  hands  in  the  water. 

As  the  expedition  neared  the  Acadian  coast,  it 
passed  by  Sable  Island,  a  bare  and  desolate  strip  of 
sand  —  as  its  name  implies  —  then  about  four  miles 
long  and  two  broad,  though  now  a  good  deal  smaller, 
owing  to  the  sinking  of  the  land.  Inside  the  shifting 
sand-hills  along  the  shore,  a  fresh-water  lake  keeps 
green  a  grassy  valley  where  wild  roses  and  lilies 
mingle  with  the  turf  and  cranberry  vines,  and  blue- 
berry bushes  are  tangled  with  the  rank  watergrasses. 
The  heavy  Atlantic  surges  dashed  monotonously  over 
the  sandy  shore,  and  a  wreck  stranded  on  the  beach 
heightened  the  dreariness  of  an  island  still  called  the 
graveyard  of  the  Atlantic.  Here  the  Marquis  de  la 
Roche  bethought  himself  of  landing  his  forty  con- 
victs, guarded  by  the  restless  waves,  until  he  should 
have  explored  the  Gulf  and  chosen  a  site  for  a 
colony,  intending  then  to  return  and  remove  them 
to  their  new  home. 


THE  MARQUIS  DE  LA  ROCHE. 


45 


The  "Forty  Thieves"  thus  left  where  desertion 
was  out  of  the  question,  were  at  first  well  enough 
content  with  their  new  life  of  liberty  and  idleness. 
After  the  dungeons,  the  chain  and  the  lash,  it  must 
have  been  pleasant  to  roam  over  the  sandy  hillocks 
and  grassy  lea,  under  the  open  sky,  exploring  their 
little  domain.  They  gathered  the  wild  fruit  that 
grew  in  the  little  inland  valley,  and  found  browsing 
there  some  wild  cattle,  descendants  of  those  which 
had  been  left  there  eighty  years  before  by  the  French 
Baron  de  L^ry.  From  there  they  supplied  them- 
selves with  food,  while  they  watched  for  the  first  sight 
of  the  returning  sails.  They  built  for  themselves  a 
rude  shelter  with  the  loose  timbers  of  the  wreck  on 
the  shore,  and  they  killed  seals  and  trapped  wild  foxes, 
the  skins  of  which  supplied  them  with  warm  garments 
for  the  cold  winter  weather. 

Time  passed  on,  and  still  no  sail  appeared  on 
the  horizon.  The  Canadian  Crusoes  began  to  feel 
themselves  deserted  and  to  lose  hopes  of  release. 
As  the  weather  grew  colder  and  the  storms  wilder, 
they  had  to  huddle  together  in  their  hut  in  order  to 
keep  from  perishing  with  cold,  for  they  had  no  fuel, 
and  no  means  of  lighting  fires.  If  they  could  have 
lived  peaceably  together,  they  need  not  have  been 
utterly  miserable.  But,  as  the  old  Latin  proverb 
says,  people  "do  not  change  their  hearts  in  changing 
their  place,"  and  these  turbulent  spirits  exemplified 
its  truth.  Quarrels  arose,  and  were  too  readily  set- 
tled by  the  knife.  As  they  had  no  fires  to  cook 
with,  they  had  to  eat  their  food  raw,  which  perhaps 
helped  to  make  them  more  savage.  As  year  after 
year  passed  away,  and  no  welcome  sail  came  to  their 


m 


4« 


r//£  MARQUIS  DE  LA  ROCHE. 


release,  their  hearts  grew  sick  from  hope  deferred, 
until  what  with  violence  and  disease  the  "  Forty 
Thieves"  had  dwindled  down  to  only  twelve. 

The  viceroy,  however,  had  never  intended  to 
abandon  them  to  this  long  and  dreary  exile.  Storms 
had  driven  his  fiail  bark  far  out  of  her  course,  and 
forced  the  marquis  at  last  to  return  to  France.  He 
would  willingly  have  gone  back  at  once  to  relieve  the 
men  on  Sable  Island,  but  a  great  duke  who  had 
usurped  the  sovereignty  of  Brittany,  threw  him  into 
prison,  where  for  years  he  himself  languished,  unable 
to  do  anything  to  relieve  the  exiles  whose  fate 
weighed  heavily  on  his  mind.  At  last,  however,  he 
found  an  opportunity  of  representing  their  situation 
to  King  Henry,  who  sent  out  a  Norman  pilot  called 
Chedotel,  to  find  out  what  had  become  of  them.  So 
that,  when  the  exiles  had  nearly  lost  hope  of  release, 
their  watching  eyes  were  unexpectedly  gladdened  by 
the  sight  of  an  approaching  sail,  bearing  the  flag  of 
France ;  and  very  soon  the  overjoyed  survivors  of 
the  "  Forty  Thieves,"  in  their  uncouth  guise  and  savage 
garb,  were  eagerly  greeting  their  deliverers.  Their 
first  experience  of  civilized  life  was,  however,  by  no 
means  a  pleasant  one.  For,  poor  as  the  exiles 
seemed  to  be,  they  had  some  valuable  property  which 
they  had  gained  in  an  honest  way.  They  had  saved 
the  sl'ins  of  the  animals  they  had  killed,  until  they 
possessed  a  valuable  store  of  furs ;  and  as  they  dis- 
played them  to  the  admiring  eyes  of  the  sailors,  the 
greed  of  Chedotel  was  excited,  and  he  meanly  robbed 
the  men  he  had  been  sent  to  rescue.  But  the  king, 
who  had  been  much  interested  in  their  fate,  desired 
to  see  them  in  the  savage  guise  in  which  they  had 


THE  MARQUIS  DE  LA   ROCHE. 


47 


been  found.  They  were  accordingly  brought  to 
court  and  ushered  into  the  royal  presence,  looking, 
as  an  old  writer  tells  us,  "  like  river-gods  of  yore  ; 
for,  from  head  to  foot,  they  were  clothed  in  shaggy 
skins,  and  beards  of  prodigious  length  hung  from 
their  swarthy  faces."  When  Henry  found  out  how 
they  had  been  robbed,  he  compelled  Chedotel  to 
restore  their  treasure,  and  gave  them  fifty  crowns 
jipiece  to  set  them  up  in  the  fur  trade.  Some  of 
them  returned  to  Sable  Island  to  pursue  this  occupa- 
tioh,  and  the  site  of  their  rude  settlement  still  bears 
the  name  of  "  French  Gardens." 

As  for  the  poor  Marquis  de  la  Roche,  his  ruined 
hopes  and  long  imprisonment  broke  his  heart  and 
sent  him  to  a  premature  grave  ;  another  unsuccess- 
ful and  disappointed  colonist. 

But  the  attractions  of  the  fur  trade  outweighed  all 
the  dangers  and  difficulties  in  the  way.  The  Sieur 
de  Pontgrave,  a  rich  merchant  of  St.  Malo,  was  the 
next  to  attempt  to  secure  a  settlement  in  Canada. 
With  the  assistance  of  a  captain  of  marine,  named 
Chauvin,  a  royal  patent  was  secured,  on  oondition 
that  a  colony  should  be  planted,  which,  however, 
these  adventurers  cared  little  to  do,  their  only 
object  being  gain.  They  did  not  ascend  the  St. 
Lawrence  to  Cap  Rouge  or  Quebec,  but  turned 
aside  into  the  rocky  mouth  of  the  Saguenay,  and 
fixed  their  headquarters  in  a  rugged  nook,  hemmed 
in  by  savage  rocks  tufted  with  fir  and  birch,  which 
still  bears  the  name  of  Tadousac.  Its  primitive 
little  church,  still  known  as  the  oldest  in  North 
America,  was  probably  built  about  this  time,  in  the 
midst  of   the  little  cluster  of   huts  and  storehouses 


43 


THE  MARQUIS  DE  LA    ROCHE, 


m.:. 


which  sprang  up  to  shelter  the  men  who  were 
left  to  winter  there  and  to  collect  the  much-desired 
furs.  The  cold  winter  was  no  kinder  to  them  than 
to  their  predecessors.  By  springtime  some  were 
dead ;  the  rest  lived  a  wandering  life  in  the  woods, 
trusting  for  food  to  the  charity  of  the  Indians. 

After  a  third  failure  to  plant  a  colony,  it  seems 
strange  that  any  one  should  have  been  found  to  try 
again.  But  it  seemed  as  if  the  pent-up  life  of  the 
Old  World  must  find  a  way  of  pouring  itself  into  the 
New.  Not  only  had  Spain  planted  her  colonies  there, 
but  the  first  faint  foreshadowing  of  New  England  was 
beginning  to  appear.  Great  Britain  had  sent  out  a 
colonizing  expedition  as  early  as  1 579,  but  the  jealous 
Spaniards  had  forced  it  to  return  without  result. 
Another  attempted  settlement  in  Newfoundland  came 
to  an  untimely  end,  as  did  also  the  endeavor  of  the 
brave,  unfortunate  Sir  Walter  Raleigh  to  found  a 
permanent  colony  in  Florida,  and  another  similar 
effort  in  Virginia.  The  time  of  the  "men  of  the 
Mayflower"  was  yet  to  come. 

On  the  death  of  Chauvin,  M.  de  Pontgrave,  still 
undiscouraged,  found  a  new  colleague  in  M.  de 
Chastes,  Governor  of  Dieppe,  a  brave  old  soldier  and 
devout  Catholic.  He  was  easily  persuaded  that  it 
would  be  the  crowning  glory  of  a  gallant  career  to 
plant  the  cross  and  the  lily  together  in  Canada, 
and  to  spread  Christianity  and  civilization  together 
over  a  savage  and  heathen  continent.  He  went  all 
the  way  to  court  to  beg  a  patent  from  Henry  the 
Fourth,  to  whom  he  had  once  done  a  great  service, 
and  declared  himself  "  resolved  to  proceed  to  New 
France  in  person  and  dedicate  the  rest  of  his  days  to 


I 


r//£  MARQUIS  DE  LA  ROCHE. 


49 


the  service  of  God  and  his  king."  Pontgrave,  how- 
ever, who  cared  much  more  for  the  profits  of  the  fur- 
trade  than  he  did  for  a  colony  or  a  mission,  persuaded 
De  Chastes  to  form  a  trading  company  in  order  to 
meet  the  expense  of  a  colony.  Men  of  rank  and 
merchants  of  Rouen  joined  the  new  company,  and 
Pontgrave  was  sent  out  to  survey  the  country  for  a 
fitting  site.  Along  with  him  went  a  young  captain  of 
brave  heart  and  tireless  energy,  who  had  already  won 
his  spurs  in  Brittany,  fighting  for  his  king  against  the 
usurping  duke.  It  was  he  who  was  to  be,  for  long 
years  to  come,  the  leader  and  the  life  of  New 
France  —  Samuel  de  Champlain. 


I.'  > 


CHAPTER   V. 


THE   STORY   OF    ST.    CROIX. 


WHEN  De  Chastes,  the  good  old  Governor  of 
Dieppe,  went  to  court  to  beg  from  King 
Henry  his  patent  of  authority  in  Canada,  he  found 
there  young  Samuel  de  Champlain,  a  great  favorite 
with  the  king,  on  account  of  his  brave  deeds  in  Brit- 
tany. His  adventurous  spirit  had  already  led  him  to 
make  a  hazardous  voyage  of  discovery  to  the  West 
Indies;  and  notwithstanding  the  determination  of 
the  jealous  Spaniards  to  keep  out  foreigners  on  pain 
of  death,  he  managed  to  visit  Panama  and  the  prin- 
cipal islands,  and  to  penetrate  as  far  as  the  city  of 
Mexico.  He  brought  back  with  him  a  journal  of  his 
travels,  illustrated  with  colored  sketches  of  his  own, 
and  this,  with  his  own  lively  narrative  of  the  things 
he  had  seen,  excited  great  interest  at  court.  De 
Chastes  was  delighted  with  the  young  captain,  whom 
he  felt  to  be  the  very  man  he  needed  to  help  him  in 
his  enterprise,  and  begged  him  to  accept  a  post  in 
his  new  company.  This  the  eager  explorer,  securing 
the  king's  consent,  was  delighted  to  do.  Champlain 
was  soon  ready  to  start  with  Pontgrave  on  a  pre- 
liminary exploring  tour  in  two  small  vessels  which  — 
small  as  the)i  seemed  —  carried  in  them  the  hope  of 
the  New  France,  soon  to  arise  in  che  wilderness. 
As  they  passed  through  the  straits  of  Belle  Isle  and 

50 


if 


THE  STORY  OF  ST.    CROIX. 


$« 


sailed  up  the  Gulf,  Champlain's  quick,  observant  eye 
noted  all  he  saw,  with  an  attention  that  stood  him  in 
good  stead  in  after  years.  The  great  shaggy  hills, 
wooded  from  base  to  summit,  unfolded  themselves  in 
a  long  succession  of  grand  curves,  as  the  Gulf  nar- 
rowed into  the  river  —  filling  him  with  admiration, 
and  a  desire  to  go  up  and  possess  this  goodly  land. 
He  noted  the  lonely  little  niche  among  the  rugged, 
fir-tufted  rocks  that  guard  the  mouth  of  the  somber 
Saguenay  —  the  site  of  the  abandoned  settlement  of 
Tadousac.  Passing  by  the  He  aux  Coudres  and  the 
Island  of  Orleans,  Champlain's  eye  marked  with  keen 
interest  the  commanding  rock  of  Quebec,  his  future 
fortress,  and  the  Gibraltar  of  Canada. 

Sailing  onward  still  between  more  gently  sloping 
shores  and  leaving  behind  them  the  grand  vista  of 
mountain  summits  that  encompass  Quebec,  they  fol- 
lowed the  winding  river  till  they  reached  the  spot 
where,  sixty-eight  years  before,  Cartier  had  found 
the  Indian  town  of  Hochelaga,  lying  at  the  foot  of 
Mont  Royal.  The  beautiful  hill  and  its  glorious 
view  of  forest,  river  and  mountain  were  unaltered  ; 
but  the  Indian  village  had  disappeared.  By  ravages 
of  war  or  pestilence,  the  earlier  Mohawk  population 
had  been  swept  away,  and  only  a  few  wandering 
Jgonquins,  of  different  race  and  lineage,  were  now 
to  be  seen.  Like  Cartier,  Champlain  tried  to  force 
his  way  up  the  white  flashing  rapids  of  Lachine  ;  but 
their  resistless  sweep  was  too  much  for  paddle  and  pole 
and  even  for  Champlain's  determination  ;  and  the 
attemj  had  to  be  given  up.  His  Indian  assistants, 
to  con  e  him,  drew  on  the  deck  of  his  ship  a  rude 
map       the  upper  portion  of  the  great  river,  with  the 


Sa 


THE  STORY  OF  ST.   CROIX. 


H: 

nil 


rapids  and  islands,  and  the  chain  of  sea-like  lakes  at 
its  eastern  extremity.  They  gave  him,  too,  some 
confused  description  of  the  grand  cataracts  of 
Niagara,  mentioned  for'  the  first  time  in  his  great 
map  as  a  "  very  high  rapid,  in  descending  which  many 
kinds  of  fish  are  stunned." 

Champlain,  unsatisfied,  was  obliged  to  return  to 
France,  preparing  on  the  way  a  chart  and  narra- 
tive of  his  voyage  and  observations,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  king  and  Do  Chastes,  the  patron  of  the  enter- 
prise. But  the  good  old  governor,  who  desired  to 
devote  his  last  days  to  the  conversion  of  the  Indians, 
had  died  during  his  absence.  King  Henry,  however, 
was  much  interested  in  the  story,  and  ere  long  a  new 
aspirant  appeared  for  the  honor  of  founding  the 
colony.  This  was  the  Sieur  de  Monts,  a  Huguenot 
gentleman,  holding  a  high  position  at  Court.  He  re- 
ceived the  title  of  Lieutenant-General  in  Acadie, 
with  vice-regal  powers  and  a  monopoly  of  the  fur- 
traffic  in  the  large  region  then  first  called  by  that 
name,  including  a  large  part  of  Canada  and  the 
Northern  United  States. 

The  fur-traders  of  Normandy  were  naturally  dis- 
contented at  losing  the  privileges  which  they  had 
previously  enjoyed  ;  but  De  Monts  wisely  removed 
their  jealousy  by  making  them  his  partners  in  the 
enterprise.  And  so,  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  the 
king's  minister,  Sully,  who  had  little  faith  in  the  set- 
tlement of  such  a  savage  wilderness,  the  expedition 
was  organized,  including  some  of  the  chief  merchants 
of  St.  Malo,  Rouen,  Dieppe  and  Rochelle.  Four 
large  ships  were  fitted  out,  two  of  them  as  a  coast- 
guard, to  seize  all  other  trading  vessels,  while  the 


THE  STORY  OF  ST    CROIX. 


53 


Other  two  were  to  carry  the  colonists  to  their  new 
home. 

Unhappily,  M.  de  Monts  —  able,  experienced  and 
patriotic  as  he  was  —  continued  to  act  on  the  mis- 
taken plan  of  taking  emigrants  by  force  from  the 
vagabonds  and  criminals  of  the  community.  But  he 
had  also  eager  and  chivalrous  volunteers  of  the  noble 
blood  of  France,  impelled  either  by  love  of  advent- 
ure or  the  desire  to  restore  fortunes  ruined  by  the 
civil  wars.  Some,  too,  were  glad  of  the  chance  of 
escaping  from  the  increasing  pressure  of  royal  power, 
so  intolerable  to  the  proud  and  haughty  barons  of 
chat  age. 

One  of  these,  the  Baron  de  Poutrincourt,  was  a 
leading  spirit  in  the  expedition,  inspired  by  Cham- 
plain's  glowing  description,  and  anxious  to  settle 
with  his  family  in  a  country  where  royal  prerogative 
seemed  as  yet  unknown.  There  were  also,  among 
the  emigrants,  skilled  artisans,  and  Huguenot  minis- 
ters as  well  as  Roman  Catholic  priests.  The  former 
were  not  to  be  allowed  to  act  as  missionaries  to  the 
Indians,  for  though  De  Monts  was  himself  a  Protest- 
ant, he  could  not  procure  for  his  fellow  Protestants 
toleration  in  America  any  more  than  in  France,  ex- 
cept on  the  condition  that  they  should  not  try  to 
make  converts.  Notwithstanding  this,  however,  the 
priests  and  ministers  had  many  keen  discussions  dur- 
ing the  voyage,  in  which  all  occasionally  lost  their 
temper. 

M.  de  Monts,  dreading  the  severe  winters  of  which 
he  had  heard  so  much,  steered  his  ships  farther 
south,  along  the  shore  of  Acadia,  where  it  is  now 
called  Nova  Scotia  —  a  land  rich  in  minerals  and  fur- 


54 


THE  STORY  OF  ST.    CROIX. 


Ul 


1 

I 

i- 

1 1) 


bearing  animals.  In  a  bay  near  Cape  La  Heve,  De 
Monts  found  and  confiscated  a  French  trader,  pursu- 
ing the  fur-traffic,  probably  in  ignorance  of  the  proc- 
lamation which  made  it  illegal.  The  name  of  its 
captain,  Rossignol,  was  given  to  the  bay,  now 
Liverpool  Harbor.  Another  bay  took  the  name  of 
Port  Mouton,  from  a  poor  sheep  that  leaped  over- 
board there,  while  they  were  waiting  for  Pontgrave's 
store-ship.  It  appeared  at  last,  laden  with  the  spoils 
of  four  more  fur-traders,  and  supplying  the  other 
ships,  passed  on  to  Tadousac  to  procure  more  furs 
from  the  Indians. 

As  the  expedition  rounded  Cape  Sable  and  entered 
a  bay  afterwards  called  St.  Mary's  Bay,  a  party  landed 
to  explore  the  neighborhood.  One  of  the  party  was 
a  priest,  called  Nicholas  Aubry,  who  strolled  a  little 
way  off  by  himself  through  the  primeval  forest  where 
everything  was  so  new  and  interesting.  It  was  a 
warm  day  in  June,  and  the  priest,  who  was  tired  and 
thirsty  after  his  long  ramble,  stopped  to  drink  from 
a  clear  stream,  flowing  invitingly  through  the  tangled 
woods.  When  he  overtook  his  companions  he  found 
he  had  forgotten  to  pick  up  the  sword  which  he  car- 
ried and  had  laid  down  on  the  grass.  Going  back  to 
look  for  it,  he  lost  his  way  in  the  confusing  and 
trackless  wood.  In  vain  he  tried  to  find  his  way 
out,  and  in  vain  his  alarmed  comrades  sought  and 
called  him.  The  woods  rang  with  his  name,  trumpets 
were  blown  and  cannon  fired  from  the  ship ;  but  all 
in  vain.  As  often  befalls  wanderers  in  the  woods, 
the  lost  man  wandered  farther  away  in  the  wrong 
direction.  His  comrades  gave  up  the  search  and 
departed,  even  suspecting  foul  play  on  the  part  of 


THE  STORY  OF  ST.    CROIX. 


til 


a  Huguenot  fellow-passenger,  whose  vehement  denials 
could  not  remove  this  horrible  suspicion. 

The  ships  sailed  away  at  last  to  explore  the  great 
Bay  of  Fundy  ;  while  the  poor  priest  was  left  an  un- 
willing hermit  —  to  wander  disconsolate  through  the 
forest  mazes,  living  on  such  wild  fruits  as  he  could 
find,  "  his  drink  the  crystal  rill,"  and  his  bed  —  not 
a  bad  one  in  June  —  a  couch  of  soft  moss  under  some 
overshadowing  oak  or  hemlock. 

His  comrades  almost  forgot  him  in  the  interest  of 
coasting  along  the  shores  of  the  yellow  Bay  of  Fundy, 
called  by  M.  de  Monts  La  Bale  Frangaise.  Entering 
a  small  inlet,  they  suddenly  found  themselves  in  a 
beautiful  and  spacious  harbor,  lined  with  green, 
forest-clad  slopes  and  watered  oy  winding  rivers  that 
broke  out  into  snowy  waterfalls  as  they  found  their 
way  into  the  sea.  The  Baron  de  Poutrincourt  was 
charmed  with  the  sylvan  beauty  of  the  scene,  and  at 
once  obtained  from  De  Monts  a  grant  of  the  place, 
which  he  called  Port  Royal,  intending  it  to  be  his 
future  home. 

It  seems  strange  that  De  Monts  did  not  himself 
at  once  fix  on  this  inviting  site  for  his  colony.  But, 
like  many  another  adventurer,  he  went  farther  and 
fared  worse.  Not  wishing  to  risk  wintering  without 
defense  among  unknown  Indians,  they  sailed  along 
the  shore  of  New  Brunswick,  discovered  and  named 
the  river  St.  John,  and  ended  their  cruise  amid  the 
numberless  islands  of  Passamaquoddy  Bay.  In  the 
center  of  its  curve  a  broad  river  flowed  quietly  out 
among  rocks  and  shoals  from  low  wooded  banks. 
Champlain  gave  the  name  of  St.  Croix  to  it  and  to 
an  islet  just  within  its  mouth.     On  this  they  deter- 


■Bl 


«■ 


S6 


THE  STORY  OF  ST.   CROIX. 


h' '. 


',J! 


mined  to  plant  their  colony,  close  to  what  is  now  the 
boundary  between  Canada  and  the  United  States. 
It  was  a  long  narrow  island,  some  ten  acres  in  extent 
—  its  grassy  covering  springing  from  a  barren  and 
sandy  soil,  with  a  fringe  of  straggling  bushes  and 
stunted  cedars.  This  bleak  and  uninviting  site  was 
too  hastily  chosen  ;  simply  because  it  commanded 
the  river  and  could  be  easily  fortified. 

All  hands  were  soon  at  work,  except  a  small  party 
who  went  back  to  St.  Mary's  Bay,  in  search  of  gold 
and  silver.  As  they  neared  the  shore,  they  noticed 
a  small  black  object  set  up  on  a  pole.  It  turned  out 
to  be  the  hat  of  the  lost  priest,  whom  they  soon  dis- 
covered, starved  and  emaciated,  after  sixteen  days  of 
solitude  and  involuntary  fast. 

The  exploring  party,  having  found  their  lost 
comrade,  instead  of  precious  metal,  returned  with 
him  to  the  busy  settlers  at  St.  Croix.  There,  nobles, 
artisans  and  sailors  were  busy,  making  the  most  of 
the  late  summer  and  autumn  days.  Before  winter 
set  in  their  buildings  and  defenses  were  completed. 
i\  fort,  crowning  a  knoll  at  one  end,  and  a  battery 
set  on  a  rock,  at  the  other,  provided  against  dangers 
that  never  arose  in  the  short  history  of  St.  Croix. 

Around  the  fort  clustered  the  dwellings,  store- 
houses, chapel,  barracks  and  magazine,  forming  a 
square  shaded  by  a  solitary  tree.  T'le  spacious  man- 
sion of  De  Monts  was  surmounted  ^y  an  enormous 
roof,and  behind  it  was  a  long  gallery  for  use  in  bad 
weather.  Champlain  built  his  house  himself,  as  did 
D'Orville,  with  the  help  of  his  servants.  A  great 
baking  oven  of  burnt  brick  completed  the  establish- 
ment, which  was  of  course  surrounded  by  palisades. 


THE  STORY  OF  ST.  CROIX. 


57 


Near  the  church  was  a  cemetery,  only  too  much 
needed  during  the  dismal  winter.  This  "  Abitation 
de  St  Croix"  may  still  be  seen  in  Champlain's  draw- 
ings, though  every  trace  of  building,  except  the  old 
moss-grown   foundations,  has   long   since   vanished. 

The  work  of  building  finished,  the  Baron  de  Pout- 
rincourt  sailed  for  France,  to  make  preparations  for 
settling  in  his  new  domain  of  Port  Royal.  After  his 
departure,  the  population  of  St.  Croix  numbered  sev- 
enty-nine nen,  including  a  number  of  cavaliers  with 
the  viceroy  at  their  head,  priests  and  Huguenot 
ministers,  servants,  laborers,  artisans  and  soldiers. 

It  was  a  busy  little  community  —  the  only  Euro- 
pean settlement  in  all  the  vast  and  savage  continent 
north  of  the  Spanish  settlements.  As  the  late  and 
shortening  sunshine  of  October  faded  away  and  the 
gloomy  November  days  darkened  over  the  somber 
mountains,  the  shivering  Frenchmen  began  to  feel 
the  full  force  of  the  dreary  and  vigorous  winter  that 
had  proved  so  fatal  to  every  previous  attempt  to 
found  a  Canadian  colony.  If  the  cold  was  not  quite 
so  severe  as  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  season  was 
not  less  dismal.  The  rapid  river  became  clogged 
with  cakes  of  ice,  shutting  them  out  from  all  their 
supplies  of  wood  and  water,  derived  from  the  main- 
land. The  leafless  forests  and  the  pine-clad  mount- 
ains— wrapped  in  a  dreary  mantle  of  snow  —  looked 
bleak  and  desolate,  when  the  bitter  north  winds  swept 
down  upon  the  islands,  driving  the  whirling  snow- 
drifts before  them.  The  belt  of  cedars  had  been 
spared  for  the  slight  shelter  it  afforded,  but  still  the 
keen,  penetrating  winds  found  easy  entrance  through 
the  rudely-built  dwellings,  !iot  half  warmed  by  scanty 


mum 


il!    ij! 


n  t 


s 


f'll 


4-1:  < 


S8 


7WS  SrORY  OF  ST.    CROIX. 


fires.  Even  cider  and  wine  were  served  out  frozen, 
and  measured  by  the  pound. 

The  long-continued  suffering  from  cold  had  its 
natural  effect,  not  only  on  the  spirits,  but  on  the 
constitutions  of  the  settlers.  The  inevitable  scourge 
of  scurvy  broke  out,  and  carried  off  nearly  half  the 
colonists.  The  tree  of  healing,  of  which  they  had 
heard  from  the  narrative  of  Jacques  Cartier,  was  not 
to  be  found  near  St.  Croix ;  at  least  they  sought  it  in 
vain.  Most  of  the  survivors  were  reduced  to  the  last 
stage  of  exhaustion  ;  and  despair  and  despondency 
reigned  supreme  in  the  hearts  of  the  settlers,  save 
only  in  the  one  dauntless  breast  of  Champlain,  while 
a  camp  of  Indians  on  their  island,  as  to  whose  friend- 
liness they  were  uncertain,  kept  them  in  constant 
anxiety. 

But  with  the  lengthening  days  and  cheering  sights 
and  sounds  of  returning  spring,  the  diminished  and 
forlorn  band  began  to  feel  new  hope  and  courage 
revive.  When  the  snow  had  disappeared,  and  the 
cry  of  the  wild  fowl,  the  balmy  breezes  and  budding 
vegetation  began  to  herald  the  approaching  summer 
to  the  eyes  of  the  waiting  company,  they,  weary  of 
their  long,  lonely  exile,  anxiously  scanned  the  horizon 
in  search  of  the  returning  sails  of  Poutrincourt, 
bringing  re-enforcements  and  succor.  But  the  baron 
was  meeting  with  unexpected  difficulties  at  home, 
and  it  was  the  ship  of  Pontgrave,  coming  from 
Tadousac,  that  at  last,  on  the  sixteenth  of  June, 
gladdened  their  eyes  and  cast  anchor  in  their  harbor, 
with  a  re-enforcement  of  forty  men. 

Privation  and  suffering  had,  by  this  time,  made  frhe 
viceroy  weary  of  St.  Croix,  and  he  lost  no  time  in 


\<'.r> 


THE  STORY  OF  ST.    CROIX. 


59 


setting  out  with  Champlain  on  a  voyage  of  discovery, 
anxious  to  find  a  more  attractive  and  favorable  site 
for  the  capital  of  his  colony.  The  exploring  party 
included,  besides  De  Monts  and  Champlain,  several 
gentlemen,  twenty  sailors  and  an  Indian  with  his 
squaw.  The  expedition  coasted  among  the  rock- 
bound  and  indented  shores  of  Maine  where,  fifteen 
years  later,  the  "Men  of  the  Mayflower"  were  to 
found  New  England. 

They  penetrated  into  the  deep  bays,  and  among 
the  picturesque  headlands  and  islands,  landing  daily, 
exchanging  presents  with  the  Indians,  and  examin- 
ing the  natural  productions  of  the  country ;  while 
Champlain  observed,  sketched,  made  charts,  and  took 
notes,  describing  with  the  closest  accuracy  all  that 
he  saw  from  the  round,  mat-covered  wigwams  of  the 
Indians  to  the  appearance  and  habits  of  the  horse- 
shoe crab. 

The  Indians  seem  to  have  been  much  more  numer- 
ous than  when  the  Pilgrims,  a  few  years  later,  landed 
at  Plymouth,  and  they  cultivated  the  art  of  agricul- 
ture to  a  considerable  extent,  for  around  their  wig- 
wams were  patches  of  corn,  beans,  squashes,  esculent 
roots  and  tobacco. 

Champlain  had  been  over  part  of  the  ground 
before,  in  the  previous  September,  when  he  had 
visited  and  named  Mount  Desert,  and  entered  the 
river  Penobscot,  then  bearing  the  name  of  Norem- 
bega,  in  common  with  the  whole  surrounding  region. 

Passing  southward  along  a  coast  now  thickly 
dotted  with  favorite  and  fashionable  watering  places, 
the  explorers  extended  their  cruise  beyond  Cape 
Cod,  into  an  inlet  full  of  sand-bars,  which  they  called 


6o 


THE  STORY  OF  ST.    CROIX. 


•I 


Cape  Malabar.  And  here  occurred  the  first  collision 
of  the  white  man  with  the  Indians,  with  whom  all 
their  intercourse  had  previously  been  most  peaceable. 
It  arose  out  of  a  squabble,  in  which  the  Indians  were 
the  aggressors.  One  of  them  snatched  a  kettle  from 
a  sailor,  going  to  bring  water  from  a  spring,  and,  as 
he  pursued  the  thief,  he  fell,  pierced  with  Indian 
arrows.  The  French  at  once  fired  from  their  vessel, 
and  Champlain  was  nearly  killed  by  the  bursting  of 
his  own  arquebuse,  while  the  savages  swiftly  fled  to 
the  woods. 

Thus  the  first  blood  was  drawn,  and  the  first  shots 
fired  of  the  long  and  bitter  conflict  between  the  red 
man  and  the  white ;  while  the  incident  showed  the 
uncertain  hold  of  peace  and  friendship  with  these 
wild  and  undisciplined  tribes. 

As  August  approached,  the  voyagers  found  their 
provisions  failing,  and  returned  to  St.  Croix,  having 
found  no  site  that  altogether  pleased  their  leader. 
But  another  winter  at  St.  Croix  was  not  to  be  thought 
of,  and  De  Monts  remembered  the  tranquil  beauty 
of  Port  Royal,  as  Poutrincourt  had  called  the  domain 
granted  to  him,  and  now  known  as  Annapolis  Basin. 
Thither,  accordingly,  across  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  was 
transported  everything  they  could  carry,  including 
stores,  utensils,  and  even  portions  of  the  buildings 
which  had  composed  the"  Abitation  de  St.  Croix." 
The  work  of  "  clearing  "  the  new  site  went  vigor- 
ously on,  and  soon  a  new  settlement  arose  in  the 
forest,  encircling  the  beautiful  harbor.  But  still 
there  was  no  sign  of  Poutrincourt's  return  and,  ere 
long,  the  viceroy  heard  bad  news  from  France  of 
obstacles  thrown   in  the  way  of  his  enterprise  by 


THE  STORY  OF  ST.   CROIX. 


6i 


those  who  were  aggrieved  by  the  monopoly.  In 
order  to  help  Poutrincourt  to  overcome  these  difficul- 
ties, M.  de  Monts  sailed  for  France,  leaving  Pont- 
grav6  to  command  at  Port  Royal,  where  Champlain 
and  other  undaunted  spirits  were  resolved  to  dare 
another  winter  of  peril  and  privation. 


ii  i 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


IN  the  fair  and  sheltered  haven  of  Port  Royal,  it 
did  not  take  the  colonists  long  to  create  a  new 
home,  partly  built  of  the  dismantled  buildings  of  St. 
Croix,  and  somewhat  on  the  same  plan.  The  winter 
was  milder  here,  but  it  did  not  pass  without  suffering, 
though  less  from  cold  than  from  lack  of  food.  The 
settlers  had  only  a  hand-mill  for  grinding  their  corn, 
and  bread  was  consequently  scarce.  De  Monts  was 
away  in  France,  fighting  for  the  colony  against  the 
indifference  and  prejudices  of  even  its  friends,  and 
the  active  hostility  of  its  enemies.  Poutrincourt, 
despite  urgent  business  in  France,  speedily  returned 
to  Canada,  bringing  with  him  his  enthusiastic  and 
poetic  friend,  Marc  Lescarbot,  who  was  said  to  be 
as  well  able  to  build  up  a  colony  as  to  write  its  his- 
tory. He  explained  the  impulse  that  led  him  to  the 
New  World  in  the  true  and  noble  words  :  "  God 
awaketh  us  sometimes  to  stir  us  up  to  generous 
actions  such  as  be  these  voyages."  His  active  and 
vigorous  mind  and  quick  observation  proved  of  great 
service  in  promoting  the  interests  of  the  colony  as 
well  as  in  writing  an  interesting  and  poetical  history 
of  its  career. 

It  was  only,  however,  after  many  obstacles  had 
been  surmounted  that  Poutrincourt  and  Lescarbot 

62 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


63 


with  their  band  of  laborers  and  mechanics,  were  able 
tr»  sail  from  Rochelle,  in  a  ship  bearing  the  rather 
curious  name  of  the  Jonas.  De  Monts  remained  in 
France  for  a  time  to  do  what  he  could  there  for  the 
interests  of  the  colony,  as  one  of  the  complaints 
of  its  enemies  was  that  nothing  had  yet  been  done 
for  the  conversion  of  the  Indians.  But  the  zeal  for 
the  Mission  in  New  France  had  yet  to  be  awakened. 

The  voyage  was  long  and  tedious  ;  it  extended  to 
two  months  by  reason  of  the  dense  fogs  that  de- 
scended upon  them  as  they  neared  land.  Suddenly, 
however,  the  sun  broke  through  the  veil  of  mist, 
revealing  to  the  delighted  Lescarbot  the  fair  face  of 
the  New  World,  bright  in  the  July  sunshine.  He 
poetically  described  their  first  experiences,  while  a 
line  of  white  breakers  still  lay  between  them  and 
the  shore  :  "  While  we  followed  on  our  course,  there 
came  from  the  land  odors  incomparable  for  sweet- 
ness, brought  with  a  warm  wind  so  abundantly  that 
all  the  Orient  parts  could  not  produce  greater  abun- 
dance. We  did  stretch  out  our  hands,  as  it  were,  to 
take  them,  so  palpable  were  they,  which  I  have 
admired  a  thousand  times  since." 

Sailing  into  the  calm  harbor  of  Port  Royal  the 
Jonas  soon  reached  the  spot  where,  amid  the  deep 
green  of  the  almost  unbroken  forest,  were  clustered 
the  wooden  buildings  of  the  little  colony.  They  saw 
no  sign  of  human  existence  till  an  old  Indian  ap- 
peared cautiously  paddling  a  birch  canoe.  Then  a 
Frenchman,  armed  with  his  arquebuse,  came  down  to 
the  shore,  and  at  the  same  moment  a  shot  rang  out 
from  the  little  wooden  fort.  But  the  white  flag  at 
the  mast  reassured  the  two  lonely  Frenchmen  who 


64 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


i 


i.^  I 


I  1. 


■%  % 


if     -I 

11  ^ 


were  left  on  guard  in  the  absence  of  their  comrades, 
^one  to  look  for  French  fishing  vessels  and  secure 
supplies. 

The  long-imprisoned  emigrants  leaped  on  shore 
eager  to  explore  the  new  land,  and  the  lately  silent 
settlement  soon  resounded  with  the  merry  voices  and 
exuberant  hilarity  of  the  Frenchmen  —  rendered  all 
the  greater  by  a  hogshead  of  wine  which  M.  Pou- 
trincourt  opened  in  the  courtyard.  Meantime  one 
of  Poutrincourt's  boats,  exploring  the  coast,  met 
Pontgrave  and  his  men,  who  returned  at  once  to 
greet  the  new-comers. 

Soon,  however,  the  party  again  divided.  Pont- 
grav6  sailed  back  to  France  in  the  ship  Jonas, 
looking  out  for  contraband  fur-traders  on  the  way. 
Poutrincourt  started  with  Champlain  on  another 
voyage  of  discovery,  which  occupied  two  months. 
It  proved  very  fruitless,  and  was  at  last  cut  short  by 
the  autumn  gales.  Unhappily,  its  chief  incident  was 
a  collision  with  the  Indians,  who  surprised  the  party 
by  night  and  killed  two  out  of  five,  who  were  en- 
camped on  the  shore.  The  others  fled  to  their  tents 
under  a  shower  of  arrows  from  four  hundred  Indians, 
"bristling  like  porcupines,"  as  Champlain's  quaint 
pencil  had  sketched  them.  He  and  the  other  men, 
awaked  by  their  cries,  rushed  to  the  rescue,  charg- 
ing and  dispersing  the  yelling  assailants.  *'  So,"  as 
Lescarbot  put  it,  "  did  thirty-five  thousand  Midianites 
fly  before  Gideon  and  his  three  hundred." 

Lescarbot  himself  had,  however,  remained  at  Port 
Royal,  where  his  activity,  energy  and  bright,  cheery 
spirit  made  him  a  most  useful  member  of  the  colony, 
and  beloved  by  all.     He  spurred  the  others  on  by  ex- 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


6S 


amp''^  as  well  as  precept  to  cultivate  the  low  meadows 
by  the  river,  and  to  lay  out  gardens  in  which  he 
would  often  work  busily  till  late  in  the  early  summer 
moonlight.  He  set  the  colonists  to  construct  a  water- 
mill,  in  place  of  the  primitive  hand-mill,  to  make 
lire-bricks  and  a  furnace  for  preparing  pitch  and  tur- 
pentine from  the  pines  and  firs,  to  lay  out  roads  in 
the  forest  and  make  charcoal  for  fuel.  The  aston- 
ished Indians  as  they  looked  on  exclaimed,  "  How 
many   things   these    Normans  know!" 

In  order  to  cheer  and  welcome  his  returning  com- 
rades, he  prepared  for  them  a  grand  mythological  re- 
ception ;  Neptune  with  his  Titans  issuing  to  meet 
them  from  the  wooden  gateway  of  Port  Royal,  and 
greeting  the  wanderers  in  verses  written  by  Lescar- 
bot.  The  rude  wooden  archway  was  gorgeously 
decorated  for  the  occasion,  with  the  arms  of  France, 
and  the  escutcheons  of  Dc  Monts  and  Poutrincourt. 
Lescarbot's  full  report  of  the  speeches  made  on  the 
occasion  is  still  in  existence. 

The  winter  that  followed  was  a  cheery  one,  with  a 
very  different  record  from  that  of  the  miserable 
winters  previously  spent  by  Frenchmen  in  Canada. 
The  cavaliers  shot  game  in  abundance,  so  that  the 
settlers  had  bounteous  stores  of  provisions  and  a 
generous  supply  of  wine.  Their  quarters  were  toler- 
ably comfortable  —  a  quadrangle  of  wooden  buildings 
inclosing  a  wide  court  flanked  by  armed  bastions 
made  of  palisades,  and  containing  their  large  dining- 
hall  and  lodgings,  kitchen  forge  and  baking-oven, 
magazines  and  storehouses.  From  an  arched  gate- 
way at  one  corner  a  short  path  led  to  the  water. 

In  order  to  produce  a  little  variety  in  their  solitary 


66 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


V>\ 


SI 


til 


and  monotonous  life,  as  well  as  to  secure  a  regular 
provision  for  their  tabic,  Champlain  organized  the 
famous  Order  of  a  Good  T'vccLQ:{prd}'e  du  Bon  Temps). 
The  knights  were  fifteen  in  number,  and  a  Grand 
Master  or  Steward  was  appointed  for  each  day,  whose 
duty  it  was  to  provide  for  the  table  of  the  company. 
In  order  to  do  this  creditably  and  add  a  new  disli 
daily,  the  knights  in  turn  worked  energetically,  sup- 
plying the  board  partly  by  their  own  exertions  in 
hunting  and  fishing,  partly  by  barter  with  the  Indians. 
By  this  means  the  company  fared  sumptuously  every 
day. 

The  bill  of  fare  included  moose-meat,  caribou,  deer, 
beaver,  otter,  iiares,  bears  and  wild  cats,  wjth  ducks, 
geese,  grouse  and  plover,  as  well  as  sturgeon,  trout 
and  other  varieties  of  fish.  As  this  bounteous  provi- 
sion was  prepared  by  a  French  cook,  under  the  stew- 
ard's direction,  the  colonists,  this  winter  at  least,  had 
no  reason  to  find  fault  with  their  dietary.  They 
dined  at  noon,  with  no  little  pomp  ard  formality  ; 
the  fifteen  knights  each  carrying  a  dish  filed  into 
1^0 utrin court's  great  dark-ceilinged  dining-hall,  the 
Grand  Master  at  their  head.  The  Indian  chiefs 
were  often  their  guests,  and  their  humble  but  faith- 
ful Indian  friends,  male  and  female,  sat  on  the  floor, 
literally  watching  for  the  crumbs  that  fell  fi  their 
master's  table. 

After  the  evening  meal  the  knights  assembled 
round  the  great  blazing  log-fire  in  the  dining-hall, 
making  the  evening  merry  with  talk  and  song  and 
stories  of  past  adventures  till  they  forgot  the  falling 
snow,  the  keen  cold,  the  wind  that  howled  without. 
Each  evening,  too,  the  Grand  Master  of  the  day  for- 


I 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


67 


mally  resigned  the  staff  of  office  to  his  successor. 
Such  was  the  first  social  Hfe  of  New  France. 

With  good  food  and  good  spirits  to  keep  them  well, 
the  scurvy  touched  the  colony  very  lightly  ;  four  men, 
however,  sunk  under  the  influence  of  the  winter's 
cold.  But  with  returning  spring  all  was  activity  once 
more.  Even  before  the  winter  was  over,  the  knights 
took  a  six-mile  tramp,  to  see  if  their  autumn-sown 
corn  were  sprouting  under  the  snow,  and  there,  on  a 
bright,  balmy  winter  day,  they  picnicked  gaily  in 
January.  But  now  fields  and  gardens  were  inclosed 
and  soon  building  and  carpentering  went  on  with 
energy,  and  the  nets  of  the  fishers  gathered  in  an 
abundance  of  herring  and  other  fish.  Lescarbot  gar- 
dened indefatigably,  writing  his  history  in  the  inter- 
vals of  toil,  and  even  Poutrincourt  went  to  the  woods 
to  collect  turpentine  and  manufacture  it  into  tar  by 
a  process  of  his  own  invention. 

The  colonists  were  much  assisted  by  an  old  cb'ef 
called  Membertou,  who  became  their  stanch  friend 
and  ally.  He  was,  unlike  the  Indians  generally, 
bearded  like  a  Frenchman,  and  was  said  to  have  been 
a  cruel  and  treacherous  warrior,  notwithstanding  his 
kindness  to  the  French.  But  the  busy  life  of  the 
colony  suddenly  came  to  an  unexpected  clo:,:. 

One  fine  spring  morning,  Membertou's  keen  eyes 
discovered  a  distant  sail.  The  colonists  hailed  the 
sight  gladly,  supposing  it  to  be  the  long-expected 
vessel  of  De  Monts.  But  it  was  a  bearer  of  bad 
news.  The  discontented  traders  who  had  been  shut 
out  of  the  fur-trade,  had  combined,  by  money  and  in- 
fluence, to  secure  the  withdrawal  of  De  iMonts' 
patent  of  monopoly.     This  was  a  death  blow  to  the 


68 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


colony,  as  the  projects  of  the  company  would  no 
longer  bear  the  expense  of  it ;  and  Port  Royal  must 
be  abandoned. 

Notwithstanding  this  calamity,  the  cheery  French- 
men kept  up  their  drooping  spirits  by  arranging  a 
loyal  celebration  of  the  birthday  of  the  heir  to  the 
French  throne,  and  by  hospitably  entertaining  the 
Breton  captain  who  had  brought  the  bad  news — a 
kindness  little  deserved,  since  this  young  captain  of 
St.  Malo,  with  his  boat's  crew,  had  appropriated  to 
his  own  use  a  quantity  of  delicacies  with  which  he 
had  been  entrusted  by  De  Monts  for  his  friends,  ex- 
cusing the  dishonest  act  by  the  plea  that  they  had 
not  expected  'i.o  find  one  of  the  colonists  alive. 

There  was  nothing  for  Poutrincourt  to  do  but  to 
prepare  for  leaving  his  Acadian  domain,  though  with 
the  firm  intention  of  yet  returning  to  it.  No  one 
showed  more  sorrow  for  the  sad  necessity  than  did 
the  old  chief  Membcrtou,  who  had  built  a  palisaded 
village  near  Port  Royal,  in  order  to  be  near  his  kind 
and  generous  friends.  He  wept  at  taking  leave  of 
the  Frenchmen,  who  generously  bestowed  on  the 
Indians  ten  hogsheads  of  meal  and  all  the  crops  that 
stood  ready  for  the  sickle. 

Lescarbot,  before  leaving,  celebrated  in  verse  a 
warlike  expedition  of  Membertou  and  his  Indians. 
He  went  first,  leaving  with  a  heavy  heart  the  corn- 
fields and  gardens  he  had  redeemed  from  the  wilder- 
ness. Poutrincourt  remained  to  the  last  with  Cham- 
plain,  to  see  how  the  crops  would  turn  out.  following 
the  rest  of  ihe  expedition  in  an  open  boat  to  the 
rendezvous  in  the  harbor  of  Canseau. 

In  October  the  whole  of  the  little  colony  was  on 


THE   STORY  OF  POR'r  ROYAL. 


69 


d    no 
must 

ench- 
jing  a 
:o  the 
g  the 
;s  — a 
:ain  of 
ted  to 
ich  he 
ds,  ex- 
ey  had 

but  to 
;h  with 
Jo  one 
an  did 
lisaded 
is  kind 
jave  of 
on  the 
ps  that 

/erse  a 
ndians. 
le  corn- 
wilder- 
Cham- 
Uowing 
:  to  the 

was  on 


its  way  to  France,  Poutrincourt  alone  cherishing  the 
determination  to  reliirn  to  the  place  which  he  claimed 
as  his  own.  Though  coming  to  an  untimely  end, 
this  colony  had  at  least  left  memories  of  kindness 
and  good-will  with  the  Indians,  who  bitterly  lamented 
the  departure  of  their  friends,  and  entreated  them  to 
hasten  their  expected  return. 

Nearly  tour  years  parsed  away,  however,  before  the 
watching  Indians  espied  the  welcome  gleam  of  Pou- 
trincourt's  returning  sail.  He  had  to  find  a  wealthy 
ally  in  order  to  meet  the  necessary  expenses,  after  the 
loss  of  his  trading  monopoly  ;  and  when  this  was 
done,  he  had  to  bear  many  other  vexatious  delays, 
'^'  e  Jesuits  were  now  very  powerful  at  court,  and 
\c*"/  zealous  about  the  work  of  converting  the  In- 
uic*i,  J.  Poutrincourt  was  very  unwilling  to  admit  them 
into  his  colony,  on  account  of  their  political  views, 
and,  though  he  could  not  keep  them  out,  he  managed 
at  least  to  postpone  the  arrival  of  P^re  Hiard,  the 
chosen  pioneer  of  the  Mission.  He  himself  set  out 
in  February,  16 10,  in  a  bark  loaded  with  supplies  for 
Port  Royal,  and  after  a  long  passage,  once  more  en- 
tered the  beautiful  harbor,  and  received  a  joyful  wel- 
come from  the  aged  chief,  who  was  said  to  be  nearly 
a  hundred  years  old,  and  was  gladdened  by  seeing  his 
French  friends  once  more  before  his  eyes  closed  in 
death. 

Poutrincourt  desired  to  show  the  Jesuits  that  he 
too  was  in  earnest  in  the  Indijin  mission,  and  a  priest 
whom  he  had  brought,  named  La  Fleche,  at  once 
began  to  instruct  Membertou  and  his  tribe.  The 
old  man  was  a  willing  pupil,  and  ere  long  he  had  con- 
fessed his  sins  and   renounced    the    service  of   the 


70 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


'k 


devil,  whom,  as  he  said,  he  had  served  for  a  hundred 
and  ten  years.  He  and  his  entire  family  —  twenty- 
one  in  all — were  baptized  on  the  shore,  in  presence 
of  the  whole  colony,  while  the  Te  Deiini  was  chanted 
and  a  peal  of  cannon  celebrated  this  first  baptism  in 
the  Canadian  wilderness.  The  new  converts  re- 
ceived the  names  of  the  royal  family  of  France. 

The  fame  of  this  event  soon  spread  among  the  In- 
dians, numbers  of  whom,  attracted  by  this  mysterious 
novelty,  and  anxious  to  gain  favor  with  the  French, 
came  to  the  delighted  priest  to  ask  that  they  too 
might  be  baptized.  Poutrincourt,  well  pleased  with 
his  success,  drew  up  a  register  of  the  baptized  and 
sent  it  by  his  son  Biencourt  to  be  shown  to  Henry 
the  Fourth.  But  the  king  had  just  perished  by  the 
knife  of  Ravaillac,  and  Marie  de  Medicis,  the  devoted 
ally  of  the  Jesuits,  was  acting  as  regent.  Young 
Biencourt  shov/ed  her  his  list  of  baptisms  ;  but  he 
found  that  it  was  i.ievitable  that  two  Jesuits,  Pere 
Biard  and  Pere  Enemond  Masse  — well-known  names 
afterward— should  return  with  him  to  Acadia,  not- 
withstanding the  opposition  of  two  Huguenot  mer- 
chants of  Dieppe,  Poutrincourt's  partners  in  fitting 
out  the  vessel  which  was  to  carry  out  the  materials 
for  another  colony.  But  a  noble  court  lady,  Madame 
de  Guercheville,  who  was  very  zealous  to  promote  the 
Canadian  mission,  raised  money  enough  not  only  to 
buy  out  the  Huguenot  merchants,  but  also  to  lend 
Poutrincourt  and  his  associates  the  money  they 
needed  in  order  to  complete  the  enterprise. 

Thus  the  two  Jesuit  Fatliers  gained  the  object  of 
their  desire.  They  set  sail  with  young  Biencourt,  and 
after  a  very  long  voyage,  and  meeting  many  huge  ice- 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


71 


bergs,  they  reached  at  last  the  new  and  strange  land 
in  which  they  so  desired  to  plant  the  Cross  beside  the 
Lily  of  France. 

They  did  not  find  much  to  encourage  them.  Their 
provisions  had  not  been  so  plentiful  as  when  they 
had  Champlain's  energy  and  forethought  to  depend 
on.  The  half-famished  colonists  had  been  anxiously 
looking  for  the  vessel  in  which  they  hoped  to  find 
the  much-needed  succor.  But  the  voyagers,  during 
four  months  at  sea,  had  almost  exhausted  their  own 
supplies.  Troubles  of  various  kinds  sprang  up,  and 
a  serious  difference  of  opinion  arose  between  Poutrin- 
court  and  Pere  Biard,  in  regard  to  the  treatment  of 
a  son  of  Pontgrav^  who  had  committed  a  serious 
offense  and  then  fled  to  the  woods.  The  Jesuit 
thought  the  young  man  penitent,  and  plead  so 
earnestly  for  his  pardon  that  in  time  Poutrincourt 
granted  it,  though  impatient  at  the  interference. 

The  offender,  however,  soon  got  into  trouble  with 
Poutrincourt's  son,  Biencourt,  whom  his  father,  again 
sailing  for  France,  left  in  charge  at  home.  Bien- 
court had  been  made  vice-admiral  in  the  seas  of 
New  France,  and  he  now  set  out  with  a  boatful  of 
armed  followers  to  enforce  his  authority.  He  found 
young  Du  Pont  Pontgrave,  with  a  few  followers,  living 
in  a  trading-hut  on  the  St.  John  River,  within  the 
region  over  which  he  claimed  jurisdiction.  He  took 
possession  of  the  hut  in  Du  Pont's  absence,  and 
made  a  prisoner  of  his  associate  Mcrveille,  who  re- 
turned first,  on  the  pretext  that  he  was  plotting 
resistance. 

At  last,  through  the  interv-^ntion  of  Pere  Biard, 
who  accompanied  Biencourt,  matters  were  adjusted 


r 


72 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL, 


and  the  coasting  party  went  on  its  way.  Young 
Pontgrave  and  his  friend  entreated  the  Jesuits  to  re- 
main with  them  ;  but  he  refused  to  leave  Biencourt 
to  pursue  his  perilous  voyage  without  him,  promising 
that  if  possible  he  would  return  to  spend  the  winter 
with  them,  and  compose  an  Indian  catechism  with 
their  help. 

Meantime  Biencourt  and  his  party  continued  their 
voyage  to  the  Kennebec,  where  they  found  some 
traders  watering  at  St.  Croix,  and  levied  tribute  on 
them.  Pere  Biard  did  not  lack  opportunities  for  his 
missionary  efforts,  for  the  Indians  crowded  to  the 
ship,  partly  for  trading,  partly  out  of  curiosity  to 
examine  the  vessel.  Their  numbers  made  Biencourt 
afraid  lest  they  meant  hostility,  and  but  for  Biard's 
presence  on  shore  at  the  critical  moment,  he  might 
have  rashly  hurried  on  a  disastrous  collision.  The 
savages  were  not  unfriendly,  however,  to  strangers 
who  treated  them  fairly,  though  they  told  the  Jesuit 
how  shamefully  they  had  been  used  some  years 
before  by  English  traders  who  had  set  their  dogs  on 
them  and  driven  them  away  with  blows. 

Late  in  the  dreary  November  the  coasting-party 
returned  to  Port  Royal,  where  they  found  no  one  but 
Pere  Enemond  Masse  and  a  young  French  com- 
panion. They  had  been  leading  a  hermit  life,  seeing 
no  one  but  passing  Indians,  and  occasionally  some 
Frenchmen  at  work  some  leagues  away.  Tbe  old 
Sagamore,  Henry  Membertou,  was  there  no  longer, 
having  passed  away  some  time  before.  His  death-bed 
had  been  faithfully  attended  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers, 
who  had  persuaded  him  to  forego  his  natural  desire 
for  burial  beside  his  heathen  forefathers ;  so  that  he 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


73 


i^oung 
,  to  re- 
ncourt 
mising 
winter 
n  with 

d  their 

some 

ute  on 

for  his 

to  the 

sity  to 

^ncourt 

Biard's 

;  might 

The 

rangers 

Jesuit 

years 

logs  f)n 

ig-party 

one  but 

h    com- 

,  seeing 

y  some 

Fbe  old 

longer, 

ath-bed 

"athers, 

d  desire 

that  he 


might  give,  even  in  death,  this  evidence  that  he  had 
fully  accepted  the  Christian  faith. 

The  white  men  sadly  missed  the  old  chief  during 
the  dreary  winter  that  soon  closed  around  them. 
There  was  no  Lescarbot  or  Champlain  to  plan  little 
festivities  or  "  spectacles,"  no  knigluly  Ordre  du  Boit 
Temps  to  provide  good  cheer  for  their  table.  Pro- 
visions ran  very  low,  and  they  had  to  economize  their 
stores  by  putting  each  man  on  a  small  daily  allow- 
ance of  bread,  lard,  beans,  peas  and  prunes.  Occa- 
sionally some  one  from  Membertou's  household 
would  bring  them  a  present  of  game,  and  then  all 
would  be  gaiety  and  good  cheer,  and  courage  would 
return  to  the  drooping  hearts  of  the  half-starved 
colony. 

Pere  Biard,  finding  it  impossible  to  fulfill  his  inten- 
tion of  spending  the  winter  on  the  St.  John,  worked 
away  by  himself  at  his  catechism,  getting  what  help 
he  could  from  the  Indians  about  him  ;  though  these 
savages,  when  puzzled  to  give  him  words  for  ideas  so 
new  to  them,  would  sometimes  amuse  themselves  by 
leading  him  quite  astray. 

The  winter  wore  slowly  and  drearily  away,  and  the 
two  Fathers  did  their  best  to  console  the  disconsolate 
little  colony.  One  Sunday  evening  in  January,  after 
reading  the  Scripture  story  of  the  marriage  at  Cana, 
M.  Biard  exhorted  the  company  to  be  of  good  courage 
in  faith  and  hope.  After  service  he  said  to  Biencourt, 
with  a  smile,  "  They  have  no  wine  ;  "  and  begged  him 
to  serve  out  the  little  that  was  left,  as  his  heart  told 
him  succor  would  arrive  before  the  month  was  over. 
The  wine  was  served  out,  the  rest  of  the  party  de- 
claring that  they  would  see  whether  the  good  P'ather 


i-^ii 


;>r 


74 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


\i   I 


were  a  true  prophet.  Eight  days  later  the  expected 
ship  from  Poutrincourt  arrived  with  a  store  of  pro- 
visions sufficient  for  their  present  needs.  It  brought 
also  another  Jesuit,  M.  du  Thet,  a  lay  brother,  no 
welcome  sight  to  Biencourt.  Madame  de  Guerche- 
ville,  the  patroness  of  the  Jesuits,  had  now  persuaded 
Louis  the  Thirteenth  to  grant  her  for  their  use,  the 
whole  of  North  America,  except  only  the  domain  of 
Port  Royal  which  had  been  given  to  Poutrincourt  and 
would  not  be  taken  from  him. 

Biencourt's  discontent  at  this  news,  and  the  oppo- 
sition of  views  and  interests  between  him  and  the 
Jesuits  made  the  social  life  at  Port  Royal  stormy  and 
unpleasant.  The  Jesuits  wished  to  sail  for  France, 
and  as  Biencourt  would  not  consent,  they  excommu- 
nicated him,  and  refused  for  three  months  to  perform 
any  religious  office.  At  last  a  reconciliation  was 
effected  on  condition  that  Du  Thet  should  return 
to  France.  Biard  and  Masse  spent  the  next  few 
months  among  the  Indians,  endeavoring  to  learn 
their  language. 

Masse  went  with  the  family  of  Louis  Membertou 
to  the  river  St.  John  and  •  hared  for  a  time  their  wan- 
dering life.  He  and  his  young  assistant  were  not, 
like  the  Indians,  accustomed  to  privation,  and  the 
hardships  they  endured  made  them  thin  and  weak. 
The  good  Father  himself  was  prostrated  by  sickness, 
so  that  his  Indian  friends  feared  lest  he  should  die 
and  they  should  be  suspected  of  having  killed  him. 
P^re  Biard  grew  so  anxious  at  receiving  no  news  of 
his  friend,  that  he  set  out  with  Biencourt  to  look  for 
him.  He  did  not  find  him,  however,  and  had  just  re- 
turned after  a  stormy  and  dangerous  voyage,  disap- 


f  ^s 


\  V ' 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  TOYAL. 


75 


pointed  and  anxious,  when,  that  same  evening,  he 
was  gladdened  by  the  arrival  of  the  good  Enemond 
Masse,  safe  and  sound,  and  rejoicing  over  some  ap- 
parent success  among  the  Indians, 

But  the  life  of  the  Jesuits  at  Port  Royal,  as  well  as 
the  existence  of  the  little  colony  itself,  was  nearly  at 
an  end.  The  Jesuits  in  France,  with  their  Lady 
Patroness,  were  now  ready  to  take  possession  of  their 
great  territory  of  North  America,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1 613,  a  ship  from  Honfleur,  bringing  two  more 
Jesuits,  arrived  at  Port  Koyal,  in  Biencourt's  absence, 
and  carried  off  the  Fathers  Biard  and  Masse  to  find 
a  new  site  for  their  Mission. 

After  exploring  the  coast  for  some  distance  they 
selected  a  site  near  Mount  Desert,  where  they  pitched 
their  tents  and  planned  houses  and  fields.  But  here 
they  had  to  meet  a  new  and  unexpected  obstacle. 
The  King  of  France  was  not  the  only  monarch 
who  claimed  all  North  America  as  his  own.  King 
James  of  England  made  the  same  claim,  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  all  others.  And  against  this  powerful  rival 
monopoly  would  not  hold.  Before  the  party  had  had 
time  to  oreak  ground  for  building  their  houses,  an 
armed  vessel,  with  blood-red  flags,  bore  down  upon 
them  "swifter  than  an  arrow."  It  was  the  ship  of 
Samuel  Argall,  one  of  the  unscrupulous  adventurers 
of  the  time.  He  was  ready  for  any  act  of  piracy  and 
plunder ;  he  had  learned  of  the  presence  of  the 
French  there,  by  the  French  manner  which  the 
Indians  had  already  caught  from  them. 

There  was  no  time  to  organize  a  defense.  Saus- 
saye,  the  cowardly  French  captain,  fled  to  the  woods, 
and  after  a  slight  resistance,  in  which  Du  Thet  fell, 


I  r 


If 


76 


TJ/Ji   STORY  OF  FORT  ROYAL. 


ill 


the  French  ship,  tents  and  stores  were  seized  by 
Argall.  He  also  stole  the  Royal  Commission  out  of 
the  captain's  trunks,  and  then  denounced  him  as  a 
robber  and  a  pirate.  Saussaye  and  Masse,  with  thir- 
teen others,  were  turned  adrift  in  an  open  boat,  but 
were  finally  rescued  by  a  French  trading  vessel, 
which  carried  them  home.  P^re  Biard  and  the  other 
half  of  the  little  community  were  carried  prisoners 
to  Virginia  and  brought  before  the  English  governor. 
Sir  Thomas  Neale,  who  expressed  great  indignation 
at  the  intrusion  of  the  French  into  what  he  was 
pleased  to  call  "British  territory."  He  forthwith 
ordered  Argall  to  wipe  out  every  trace  of  French 
settlement  from  a  continent  which  England  claimed 
as  hers,  by  right  of  the  discovery  of  Cabot. 

Taking  his  own  ship  and  that  captured  from  Saus- 
saye, Argall  steered  northward  on  an  errand  of  still 
more  sweeping  destruction.  He  took  with  him  Pere 
Biard,  apparently  as  a  guide  to  Port  Royal,  though  the 
Jesuit  was  chiefly  anxious  to  find  an  opportunity  of 
returning  to  France.  Argall  landed  first  at  Mount 
Desert  and  levelled  its  unfinished  defenses,  then 
steered  for  St.  Croix  and  did  the  same  to  all  that 
remained  of  that  deserted  post. 

He  had  lost  so  much  time  in  searching  for  St. 
Croix,  and  in  finding  an  Indian  to  guide  them  to  it, 
that  he  now  nearly  gave  up  his  designs  on  Port  Royal, 
and  P^re  Biard  endeavored  to  induce  him  to  do  so. 
But  unhappily  he  persevered,  entered  the  beautiful 
harbor  and  descended  upon  the  unsuspecting  little 
colony.  Some  of  the  men  were  away  with  Biencourt 
on  a  visit  to  neighboring  Indians,  others  were  reap- 
ing the  grain  at  some  distance  from  the  fort.     There 


THE  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


n 


d  by 
ut  of 

as  a 

thir- 
;,  but 
essel, 
other 
oners 
jrnor, 
lation 
2  was 
hwith 
rench 
aimed 

Saus- 
»f  still 
1  Pere 
iT;h  the 

ity  of 
Vloiint 
then 

1  that 

or  St, 
1  to  it, 
Royal, 
do  so. 
autiful 
5  little 
n  court 
reap- 
There 


was  no  attempt  at  resistance.  The  English  seized 
all  the  stores,  plundered  the  buildings,  killed  or  car- 
ried off  all  the  animals  they  found,  and  then  burned 
the  whole  settlement  to  the  ground.  They  then 
sought  the  reapers,  destroyed  the  harvest  also,  and 
having  thus  completed  the  devastation,  returned  to 
their  ships. 

Biencourt  and  his  men  returned  next  day  to  find 
the  work  of  years  of  toil  and  suffering  laid  in  ruins. 
His  indignation  was  naturally  intense  ;  and  the  in- 
terview between  the  two  commanders  was  so  stormy 
that  one  of  the  Indians  rushed  from  the  shelter  of 
the  woods,  and  in  his  broken  French  endeavored  to 
reconcile  these  foes  who  seemed  to  him  of  one  blood, 
forcing  them  both  to  laughter  by  the  earnestness  of 
his  pleading  gestures. 

The  heartless  Argall  speedily  sailed  for  Virginia, 
leaving  the  homeless  community  of  Port  Royal  un- 
protected from  the  approaching  winter.  They  wan- 
dered through  the  forest,  living  on  roots,  lichens, 
buds  of  trees,  and  such  help  as  their  Indian  friends 
could  give  them.  The  captured  French  ship  with 
P^re  Biard  on  board,  was  turned  out  of  its  southward 
course  by  storms  and  was  finally  obliged  to  steer  for 
England,  where  P^re  Biard  was  well  treated  by  all  he 
met  —  among  them  some  English  ecclesiastics  —  and 
from  whence  he  soon  found  his  way  to  his  French 
home. 

Baron  Poutrincourt,  ignorant  of  these  events,  re- 
turned in  the  following  spring  to  Port  Royal,  to  find 
his  domain  laid  waste,  his  buildings  in  ashes,  and  his 
son,  with  the  other  settlers,  wandering  shelterless  in 
the  woods.     Even  he  was  at  last  driven  to  despair  by 


■  k. 


I 

Vt 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0    ^UiiSi 

^s^     m  m,    MOO 

1.1    r-^isa 

=        IJiSi 

1.25   III  1.4    III  1.6 

^ . 

6"     

^ 

RiotDgraphic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WIBSTH.N.Y.  MSM 

(716)  •72-4903 


4r> 


.y 


r  ^ 


I 


78 


r//E  STORY  OF  PORT  ROYAL. 


N 

■' 

\ 

? 

t 

t 

i 

11 

f 

h 

1 

i! 


this  calamity,  and,  losing  heart  and  hope,  he  returned 
finally  to  France.  There  he  fell,  some  years  later, 
sword  in  hand,  leading  the  royal  forces  into  battle,  a 
brave  and  gallant  leader,  who  at  least  deserved  the 
success  he  failed  to  grasp. 

But  though  Port  Royal  as  a  colony  was  ruined,  the 
French  still  kept  a  foothold  in  Acadia.  Poutrincourt 
did  not  desert  Port  Royal,  and  the  traders*  huts  at 
least  kept  the  spot  from  returning  to  utter  solitude. 
New  France  wa^  by  no  means  crushed  in  the  ruins 
of  Port  Royal.  But  this  high-handed  act  of  destruc 
tion,  committed  in  time  of  peace  between  the  two 
great  nations  who  were  contending  for  the  prize  of 
the  great  continent,  was  but  the  beginning  of  a 
long  and  bitter  conflict  —  the  fruitful  source  of  misery 
and  death,  until  it  ended  at  last  with  the  ebbing  lives 
of  Montcalm  and  Wolfe  on  the  blood-dyed  Plains  of 
Abraham. 


f 


CHAPTER  VII. 


THE   STORY   OF    CHAMPLAIN. 


IT  might  seem  strange  that  during  all  the  eventful 
and  tragic  career  of  Port  Royal,  the  gallant 
Champlain  had  no  further  part  or  lot  in  its  fortunes. 
But  he  had  by  no  means  given  up  the  project  that 
was  so  near  his  heart.  Champlain  was  specially  fitted 
by  nature  to  be  the  leader  of  a  colony  in  a  new  coun- 
try. He  was  a  born  explorer  and  knight-errant ; 
dauntless,  romantic,  sagacious,  observant,  and  eager 
to  discover  all  the  unknown  wonders  that  the  New 
World  could  unfold.  No  danger  could  check  his 
enthusiasm,  and  no  hardship  could  exhaust  his 
endurance. 

As  has  been  said,  when  the  young  soldier  of  thirty 
set  out  with  Pontgrave  on  his  exploring  tour  he  had 
already  won  distinction  on  the  field  of  battle,  as  well 
as  through  his  voyage  to  the  West  Indies,  Mexico  and 
Panama,  then  under  jealous  Spanish  rule.  He  first 
conceived  the  idea  of  a  ship  canal  across  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama,  "  whereby  the  voyage  to  the  South  Sea 
would  be  shortened  by  more  than  fifteen  hundred 
leagues."  Ease  and  inaction  at  home  would  have 
been  intolerable,  while  the  adventure  and  romance 
of  the  New  World  were  tempting  him  abroad.  But 
he  had  been  strongly  attracted  to  another  part  of 
that  wide  unoccupied  land  —  to  the  shores  of  the 

79 


8o 


THE  STOKY  OF  CHAMPLAIN. 


I 


h 


%  i^ 


great  hill-girt  river  which  had  first  lured  him  inUind 
from  the  sea. 

De  Monts,  who  had  not  given  up  his  cherished  proj- 
ect of  founding  a  great  colony,  succeeded  in  securing 
from  the  king  the  renewal,  for  one  year,  of  the  mo- 
nopoly so  necessary  to  maintain  the  enterprise,  and 
Champlain  gladly  undertook  to  aid  him  in  carrying 
out  his  plan. 

In  the  year  after  his  departure  from  Port  Royal 
he  was  again  following  the  trading-vessel  of  Pont- 
grav6  up  the  St.  Lawrence.  Once  more  passing  the 
lonely  fir-clad  hills,  he  reached  the  rugged  nook  of 
Tadousac,  with  the  now  deserted  trading-post  under 
its  shadowing  crags.  Rounding  the  point  at  its  en- 
trance, called  from  its  frequent  storms  the  Pointe  dc 
tons  les  Diables,  he  there  came  upon  Pontgrave's  ship, 
engaged  in  a  skirmish  with  a  Basque  trading-vessel 
which  had  been  challenged  there,  and  which  had 
taken  away  his  cannon. 

Champlain's  arrival  turned  the  tables  and  brought 
the  Basques  to  terms,  and  sent  them  to  the  more 
legitimate  task  of  catching  whales.  He  then  went 
on  his  way,  leaving  the  rocky  bay  and  its  cluster  of 
wigwams  belonging  to  the  Montagnais  Indians,  who 
used  to  bring  cargoes  of  furs  in  their  bark  canoes 
down  the  dark  caflons  of  the  deep  and  wild  Sague- 
nay,  above  which  Cape  Trinity  then,  as  now,  raised 
its  wild,  weather-beaten  cliffs  to  the  stars. 

Champlain  held  on  his  course,  passing  the  green 
island  of  Orleans  and  the  white  fall  of  Montmorency, 
till  the  bold  promontory  of  Quebec  rose  above  the 
winding  river,  here  narrowed  to  a  mile  in  width. 
This  spot,  at  once  commanding  and  picturesque,  his 


THE  STORY  OF  CHAMPLAIN. 


8i 


observant  eye  had  long  since  chosen  for  his  intended 
fortress. 

There  was  no  Indian  village  there.  All  was  silent 
and  deserted.  The  bare  and  lonely  rock  overlooked 
an  unbroken  solitude,  where  to-day  the  visitor's  eye 
looks,  out  upon  piles  of  buildings  and  stately  spires, 
rows  of  shipping  and  darting  steamboats,  upon  a 
wide  stretch  of  long  cornfields  and  meadows,  dotted 
with  white  cottages  and  gleaming  villages  clustered 
round  their  charch  steeples,  sprinkled  over  the  purple 
distance,  while  all  around  closes  the  vista  of  gray 
misty  hills,  which  are  the  only  unchanged  features. 

But  the  view  of  dark,  unbroken  forest,  winding 
river  and  purple  hills  was  a  charming  one  even  then  ; 
and,  here,  in  the  shadow  of  the  great  rock,  Cham- 
plain  determined  to  found  his  settlement.  The  place 
was  called,  by  the  wandering  Algonquins,  Quebec  or 
Kcbfc  —  a  word  meaning  a  strait  —  and  Champlain 
kept  the  old  name.  It  happens  thus  that  the  trav- 
eler who  enters  Canada  by  the  St.  Lawrence,  finds 
in  the  names  of  the  first  three  cities  on  his  way, 
Quebec,  Montreal,  Kingston,  memorials  of  the  three 
races  which  have  successively  held  the  country  in 
the  order  of  their  succession. 

Champlain  was  not,  at  first,  so  ambitious  as  to  plant 
his  eyrie  on  the  frowning  height  above,  but  set  his 
men  at  once  to  clear  away  the  walnut-trees  that  cov- 
ered the  strip  of  land  at  its  foot.  In  a  short  time 
they  had  built  a  sort  of  wooden  fortress,  surrounded 
by  a  loop-holed  gallery,  and  inclosing  three  build- 
ings, ready  for  occupation.  A  tall  dove-cote,  like  a 
belfry,  rose  from  the  courtyard,  and  a  moat,  with 
two  or  three  primitive  cannon,  completed  its  defenses  ; 


^If 


,1  r 
1+^ 


f  'W 


82 


T-A^^  ^7t?/?K  OF  CHAMPLAIfT. 


rf    i 


a  magazine  being  built  close  by.  Champlain  had  his 
garden  too,  and  enjoyed  cultivating  his  roses  as  well 
as  his  vegetables,  where  now  the  Champlain  Market 
presents  its  busy  scene,  and  the  little  weather-beaten 
church  of  Notre  Dame  des  Victoires  still  stands  as  a 
memorial  of  the  early  days  of  Quebec. 

The  only  misadventure  during  the  building  of  the 
fort  was  a  conspiracy  which  had  nearly  cut  short 
Champlain's  career  and  the  history  of  the  settle- 
ment. The  Spanish  and  Basque  traders  at  Tadousac 
made  use  of  a  traitorous  locksmith  named  Duval,  to 
persuade  most  of  the  colonists  to  betray  t  le  settle- 
ments into  their  hands  and  murder  the  brave  leader. 
But  one  of  the  men  who  was  to  assist  Duval  in  the  plot, 
becoming  conscience-stricken,  confessed  the  whole  to 
Champlain,  who  with  great  readiness  and  presence  of 
mind,  succeeded  in  arresting  the  four  ringleaders. 
The  greater  number  of  the  men  had  been  frightened 
into  joining  in  the  conspiracy,  and  were  relieved  at 
the  discovery.  Champlain  generously  pardoned  them, 
but  Duval  was  executed  and  the  other  ringleaders 
were  sent  to  the  French  galleys. 

In  September,  Pontgrave  went  to  France  with  his 
load  of  furs,  leaving  Champlain  with  twenty-eight 
men  to  brave  the  terrors  of  the  winter,  so  fatal  to 
the  parties  of  Cartier  and  Roberval.  The  cold  did 
not  seem  quite  so  severe,  possibly  because  Cham- 
plain and  his  men  were  better  housed  and  fed.  Yet 
nevertheless,  out  of  the  twenty-eight  eight  only  sur- 
vived till  spring,  the  rest  having  fallen  victims  to  the 
inevitable  scurvy  which  had  broken  out  toward  the 
close  of  the  winter.  And  of  these  eight,  four  were 
still  suffering  from  this  horrible  malady. 


rut:  STORY  OF  CUAMrLAIN. 


83 


There  was  little  to  break  the  monotony  of  the 
short  winter  days  and  long  nights.  Champlain  some- 
times amused  himself  by  trapping  foxes,  and  watch- 
ing the  hungry  martens  as  they  sought  for  fragments 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  settlement. 

Once  a  little  excitement  was  caused  by  the  appear- 
ance of  a  band  of  famished  Algonquins  who  were  col- 
lected on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  which  was 
choked  up  with  cakes  of  drifted  ice.  It  seemed  a 
desperate  venture  to  cross  in  such  circumstances, 
but  the  poor  creatures  were  starving  and  hoped  to 
get  food  from  the  French  strangers.  Champlain 
with  anxious  eyes  watched  them  launch  their  frail 
canoes,  one  after  another,  only  to  be  crushed  between 
the  grinding  masses  of  ice.  However,  even  then 
their  agility  saved  them.  They  all  leaped  upon  a 
moving  sheet  of  ice,  the  squaws  —  weak  and  emaci- 
ated as  they  were  —  carrying  their  children  on  their 
shoulders,  a  feat  that  excited  Champlain's  astonish- 
ment. Standing  on  this  frail  support  they  began 
to  utter  wails  of  despair,  expecting  inevitable  de- 
struction. But  their  strange  raft  was  unexpectedly 
driven  upon  the  shore,  where,  worn  almost  to  skele- 
tons, they  came  up  to  the  fort  to  beg  for  food. 
Champlain  willingly  gave  them,  all  he  could  spare ; 
but  it  was  not  easy  to  satisfy  the  poor  creatures, 
who  were  so  famished  that  they  seized  and  ate  even 
the  frozen  carcass  of  a  dog  that  had  been  lying  for 
months  on  the  snow. 

Before  the  winter  was  over,  Champlain  had  an- 
other visit  from  Indians  ;  this  time  a  band  of  Mon- 
tagnais  who  were  living  in  huts  near  Quebec.  The 
Indians  were  always  much  disturbed  by  dreams,  and 


84 


THE  STORY  OF  CHAMPLAhV. 


these  had  been  excited  and  terrified  by  nightmare 
visions  of  fearful  encounters  with  their  enemies,  the 
Iroquois.  Their  superstitious  dread  drove  them  to 
come  to  the  fort  to  beg  shelter  for  the  night.  Cham- 
plain  pitied  their  terror,  but  thought  it  more  pru- 
dent to  take  only  the  women  and  children  into  the 
fort,  while  the  men  remained  watching  and  shivering 
without. 

At  last,  however,  the  dreary  winter  was  over  and 
gone,  the  snow  gradually  disappeared,  and  the  soft 
breezes,  the  swelling  buds  and  opening  flowers 
cheered  the  drooping  spirits  of  the  eight  survivors. 
Champlain's  iron  consitution,  alone,  had  been  proof 
against  the  frightful  scurvy.  With  a  band  so  en- 
feebled, there  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to  wait  for 
Pontgrave's  return. 

It  was  a  welcome  sight  when,  at  last,  a  sail  rounded 
the  Isle  of  Orleans,  brinjring  Pontgrave's  son-in-law, 
with  the  news  th  t  he  himself  was  at  Tadousac. 
Thither  Champlain  hastened  to  meet  him  and  dis- 
cuss his  intended  voyage  of  discovery.  It  was  his 
cherished  hope  to  realize  the  dream  of  a  short  pas- 
sage to  India  and  Cliina.  and  he  desired  as  ardently 
to  gain  influence  over  the  Indians  and  convert  them 
to  the  true  faith,  which,  he  said,  would  be  a  nobler 
achievement  than  taking  a  continent.  To  these  aims 
his  life  was  devoted. 

But  to  his  exploring  zeal  there  was  a  formida- 
ble barrier.  These  vast  forests  were  infested  by  a 
ferocious  Indian  tribe  called  the  Five  Nations  or 
Iroquois,  warlike  and  powerful,  whose  tomahawks 
were  ever  ready  for  action,  and  to  whom  an  explorer 
must  almost  certainly  fall  a  victim,  sooner  or  later. 


THE  STOKY  OF  ClfAMPLAIN. 


8S 


nightmare 
emies,  the 
;  them  to 
t.  Cham- 
more  pru- 
1  into  the 
I  shivering 

;  over  and 
d  the  soft 
ig  flowers 
survivors, 
been  proof 
and  so  en- 
to  wait  for 

ail  rounded 
son-in-law, 
Tadousac. 
n  and  dis- 
It  was  his 
short  pas- 
is  ardently 
vert  them 
e  a  nobler 
these  aims 

formida- 
jsted  by  a 
fations  or 
lomahawks 
In  explorer 
Ir  or  later. 


The  other  tribes  lived  in  constant  terror  of  these 
fierce  savages  who  knew  neither  fear  nor  pity.  It 
seems,  at  first  sight,  strange  that  Champlain,  so  de- 
sirous of  carrying  the  gospel  of  love  to  the  Indian 
tribes,  should  himself  have  taken  the  first  step 
toward  beginning  a  deadly  warfare.  But  he  was  a 
soldier  to  the  core  as  well  as  a  born  explorer,  and  the 
path  of  discovery  seemed  to  him  a  war-path  as  well. 

The  Huron  and  Algonquin  tribes,  with  which  he 
had  been  on  such  friendly  terms,  pleaded  with  him, 
not  in  vain,  to  help  them  to  overcome  the  strong  foes 
they  so  much  feared.  And  he  naturally  believed 
that  if  he  could  do  them  this  service  he  would  gain 
over  them  great  influence  which  he  could  use  to  pro- 
mote both  his  cherished  projects.  He  had  little  idea, 
however,  of  the  power  and  numbers  of  the  savages 
whose  enmity  he  so  rashly  provoked. 

It  was  in  the  middle  of  May,  1609,  that  Cham- 
plain  set  out  with  a  war  party  of  Montagnais,  bent  on 
ascending,  under  their  guidance,  the  Rivibre  des  Iro- 
quois, as  the  River  Richelieu  was  then  called.  Be- 
fore starting  the  Indians  held  their  war-dance,  with 
which  they  began  all  such  expeditions.  They  lighted 
a  huge  camp  fire,  decked  themselves  in  paint  and 
feathers,  brandished  their  war-clubs,  lances  and  stone 
hatchets,  while  their  discordant  yells  blended  with 
the  hollow  boom  of  their  drums  and  woke  the  echoes 
from  the  frowning  cliff  above. 

The  eager  explorer  soon  found  how  little  he  could 
depend  on  the  aid  of  his  new  allies.  They  encamped 
for  two  days  on  the  way,  and  quarreled,  the  greater 
number  going  back  in  disgust  to  their  homes.  He 
found,  too,  that  the  ascent  of  the  stream  was  barred 


H- 


mi 


I 


I 

I! 


1 

t 

1 

■l» 


li' 

, 

t;i 

J 

<  1.' 

J  1 

1 

^ : 

ii 

■r   -  ■         f 

i 

s 

I      . 

^ 

Li  1 

1 

i- 

J 

L 

^ 

86 


77/A  S/VA'y  OF  CHAMVLAIN, 


by  rocky  ledges,  over  which  the  white,  surging  rapids 
dashed  with  furious  force.  He  was  obliged  to  send 
home  his  own  boat  and  men,  keeping  only  two  French- 
men with  him,  while  the  Indian  warriors  carried 
their  canoes  through  the  tangled  forest  to  the  smooth 
stream  above.  Then  they  re-embarked  and  paddled 
on  their  way,  stopping  at  night  to  entrench  them- 
selves behind  a  barricade,  when  the  chief  would  in- 
struct his  followers  how  to  form  their  ranks  in  bat- 
tle, by  setting  up  an  army  of  sticks  called  by  their 
respective  names,  each  in  the  position  to  be  taken 
before  the  enemy. 

At  last,  however,  Champlain  had  the  satisfaction 
of  entering  the  beautiful  lake  that  still  bears  his 
name,  and  gazed  with  delight  upon  its  bright  ex- 
panse and  its  grand  setting  of  mountain  summits. 
Its  shores  were  the  hunting  grounds  of  the  fierce 
Iroquois,  and  the  valley  of  New  York  State  beyond 
it  was  dotted  with  the  palisaded  villages  that  formed 
their  strongholds.  To  pass  from  Lake  Champlain 
to  Lake  George  and  thence  by  portage  to  the  Hud- 
son, and  attack  the  Mohawks  in  their  home,  was  the 
plan  of  the  Indian  warriors,  provided  they  did  not 
meet  the  enemy  on  the  way. 

But  at  Crown  Point,  afterward  noted  in  the  war- 
fare of  the  white  man,  this  expedition  of  red  men 
discovered  at  nightfall,  through  the  dusk,  a  flotilla 
of  the  Iroquois  canoes.  Dark  as  it  was  the  enemies 
recognized  each  other  with  savage  war-cries.  The 
Iroquois  landed  close  by  and  labored  all  night,  as 
Champlain  could  see,  at  the  work  of  entrenching 
themselves  behind  a  barricade,  made  of  trees  felled 
on  the  spot.     Champlain's  allies  lashed  their  canoes 


THE  STORY  OF  CHAM  PLAIN. 


87 


ng  rapids 
d  to  send 

0  Krcnch- 
H  carried 
ic  smooth 
d  paddled 
ich  them- 
would  in- 
^s  in  bat- 

1  by  their 
be  taken 

atisfaction 

bears  his 

bright  ex- 

summils. 

the  fierce 

te  beyond 

at  formed 

ham  plain 

the  Hud 

,  was  the 

y  did  not 

the  war- 
red men 
a  flotilla 
enemies 
^es.     The 
I  night,  as 
trenching 
;es  felled 
ir  canoes 


together  with  poles  and  danced  and  shouted  till 
morning  broke. 

I'he  three  Frenchmen  lay  concealed,  each  in  his 
canoe,  till  the  critical  moment  approached.  When  the 
attacking  canoes  reached  the  shore  and  their  owners 
laiulcd,  Champlain  could  see  some  two  hundred  tall, 
strong  Indian  warriors  advancing  from  the  forest  to 
meet  them,  some  of  them  wearing  a  primitive  kind 
of  armor  made  of  interwoven  twigs,  or  shields  of  wood 
and  hide,  while  the  chiefs  could  be  distinguished  by 
the  tall  plumes  on  their  heads.  As  they  approached 
the  attacking  Indians  called  for  their  gallant  defender, 
who  came  forward  before  the  astonished  Iroquois 
in  the  imposmg  garb  of  a  French  soldier,  and  fired 
Ills  arquebuse.  As  its  report  resoundeil  two  of  the 
Iroquois  warriors  fell.  The  savages  replied  with  a 
yell  and  showers  of  arrows,  but  shots  in  rapid  suc- 
cession soon  broke  their  advance  into  a  retreat,  and 
they  fled  in  terror  and  confusion. 

The  victory  was  complete,  but  the  tortures  inflicted 
by  the  Indians  on  their  prisoners  sickened  the  heart  of 
Champlain,  who  remonstrated  indignantly,  but  in  vain. 
Then,  satisfied  with  this  successful  skirmish,  and 
probably  fearing  speedy  vengeance,  the  party  turned 
their  canoes  toward  home.  At  the  mouth  ot  the  Rich- 
elieu the  expedition  broke  up,  the  Iluronsand  Algon- 
quins  steering  for  the  Ottawa,  while  Champlain  accom- 
panied the  Montagnais  to  Tadousac,  where  the  squaws 
(lanced  in  glee  to  celebrate  their  victory,  and  swam 
out  to  the  canoes  to  receive  the  heads  of  their  slain 
enemies. 

Champlain  soon  sailed  for  France  with  Pontgrav6, 
and  carried  to  King  Henry  a  belt  embroidered  in 


88 


THE  STORY  Oh   CHAStrLAIN. 


I 


m\ 


4 


I:»J'; 


n: 


dyed  porcupine  quills,  and  two  bright-plumaged  Ca- 
nadian birds  as  trophies  of  his  adventures,  while  he 
entertained  him  with  his  lively  account  of  them.  Dc 
Monts  was  tryinj;  to  secure  the  renewal  of  his  mo- 
nopoly, but,  failing  in  this,  he  pluckily  determined 
to  go  on  without  it. 

Early  in  the  following  spring  Champlain  and  Pont- 
grave  .sailed  again  for  New  France.  As  usual,  they 
found  greedy  fur-traders  busy  at  Tadousac  and  on 
the  Saguenay,  exhausting  the  supplies  so  much 
needed  for  the  support  of  the  colony. 

Champlain  had  various  schemes  for  exploring  ex- 
peditions ready  to  carry  into  action.  One  of  these  was 
to  go  with  the  Hurons  to  see  the  great  lakes  and 
near  them  the  copper  mines,  which  they  had  prom- 
ised to  show  him.  They  met,  accordingly,  at  a  ren- 
dezvous on  the  Richelieu.  Hut  while  they  were  pre- 
paring for  a  dance  and  a  feast,  a  canoe  came,  swiftly 
paddled  toward  them,  bearing  the  news  that  a  battle 
was  going  on  in  the  forest  between  Algonquins  and 
Iroquois.  Champlain's  Montagnais  friends  rushed  to 
their  canoes,  taking  Champlain  with  them,  and  on 
landing,  they  bounded  off  through  the  woods  like 
hounds  after  their  prey.  Champlain  and  his  friends 
pressed  on  through  the  forest  jungle  as  best  they 
might,  stumbling  over  fallen  trees  and  entangling 
vines,  wading  through  swamps,  persecuted  by  legions 
of  mosquitoes,  until  at  last  they  came  within  hail  of 
their  forgetful  guides. 

Champlain  was  wounded  in  the  battle  that  followed  ; 
but  he  fought  on  undaunted,  assisted  by  some  young 
Frenchmen  from  a  fur-trader's  ship  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  again  won  the  day  for  his  Indian  allies. 


THE  srOA'V  OF  CHAMPLALW 


89 


Again  the  fiemlish  tortures  began,  and  all  Champlain 
could  do  was  to  save  one  prisoner  from  the  ferocity 
of  the  victors. 

The  allies  rejoiced  that  a  heavy  blow  had  been 
dealt  to  their  enemies,  and  a  great  band  of  Huron s, 
who  arrived  next  day,  were  terribly  vexed  that  they 
had  come  too  late  for  the  fray.  The  tumultuous  sav- 
ages celebrated  their  success  with  songs  and  dances, 
and  then  set  out  for  home  in  their  canoes,  decorated 
with  ghastly  scalps,  without  a  thought  of  following 
up  the  blow  they  had  struck.  Neither  did  Champlain 
insist  on  their  guiding  him  on  to  the  great  lakes  he 
had  set  out  to  reach.  For  startling  tidings  from 
France  seemed,  for  the  time,  to  drive  these  projects 
from  his  mind. 

Henry  the  Fourth  had  fallen  beneath  the  dag- 
ger of  Ravaillac.  This  was  sad  news  for  the 
hopes  of  Quebec,  sad  news  for  those  of  Port  Royal. 
Champlain  must  hasten  home,  to  look  after  the 
interests  of  his  colony.  Regretfully  he  left  once 
more  his  post  at  Quebec,  with  his  fields  and  gardens 
and  vineyard  redeemed  from  the  wilderness ;  and  ex- 
changed his  forays  with  the  wild  warriors  of  the  for- 
est for  unsuccessful  pleadings  at  court,  which  were 
much  less  to  his  taste.  He  could  not  protect  the 
interests  of  the  colony  on  which  he  had  spent  so 
much  labor,  from  the  descent  of  swarms  of  fur- 
traders  who  bought  up  the  skins  which  were  all  they 
cared  about,  and  so  exhausted  the  colony's  only 
means  of  existence.  When  he  returned,  in  the  fol- 
lowing spring,  thirteen  of  them  followed  in  his  wake, 
ready  to  reap  the  profit  of  his  labors. 

Champlain,  however,  had  learned  that  patience  and 


90 


THE   STORY  OF  CUAMPLAIN. 


perseverance  can  do  much  toward  success,  and,  un- 
discouraged,  he  chose  a  site  for  a  new  trading-post 
at  the  foot  of  the  beautiful  Mont  Royal,  where  he 
thought  he  could  establish  a  trade  with  the  great 
tribes  of  the  interior  as  they  came  down  from  the 
Ottawa.  Not  far  from  the  place  where  had  once 
stood  the  Indian  town  of  Hochelaga,  on  a  spot  now 
covered  by  the  massive  stone  warehouses  of  Montreal, 
he  cleared  a  site  for  his  trading-post,  and  built  a  wall 
of  bricks  of  his  own  manufacture,  to  preserve  it  from 
damage  by  the  **  ice-shove  "  in  the  spring.  He  called 
it  Place  Royale.  The  hospital  of  the  Gray  Nuns  oc- 
cupies a  part  of  the  "  Place." 

At  this  appointed  rendezvous  a  band  of  the  Hurons 
were  the  first  to  arrive,  paddling  their  canoes  down 
the  dashing  surges  of  the  Lachine  rapids,  then  called 
the  rapids  of  St.  Louis.  They  invited  Champlain  to 
visit  their  country,  buy  their  beavers,  build  a  fort, 
teach  them  the  true  faith  —  do  anything  he  liked  ; 
only  they  begged  him  to  keep  the  greedy  fur-traders 
away.  They  disliked  and  distrusted  them,  thinking 
that  they  meant  to  plunder  and  kill  them.  Cham- 
plain  did  all  he  could  to  reassure  them,  and  went  to 
visit  them  at  their  camp  on  Lake  St.  Louis,  from 
whence  they  conveyed  him  down  the  rapids  in  their 
canoes  ;  the  third  white  man  who  ever  descended  the 
Lachine  Rapids. 

Once  more  visiting  France  to  consult  with  M.  De 
Monts,  Champlain  succeeded  in  finding  a  new  and 
powerful  patron  for  New  France,  in  Henry  of  Bour- 
bon, who  became  its  protector.  Champlain,  how- 
ever, continued  to  be  the  moving  spring  of  its  life. 
In  order  to  secure  his  twofold  aim  of  converting:  the 


Hi 


THE  STORY  OF  CHAMPLAIN. 


9« 


Indians,  and  finding  a  short  passage  to  China,  he 
needed  the  profits  of  the  fur-trade,  but  he  did  not 
wish  to  keep  these  entirely  to  himself.  He  was  will- 
ing to  share  them  with  the  traders,  and  he  now 
offered  them  a  chance  of  joining  the  new  company. 
The  offer  was  accepted  by  the  merchants  of  St.  Malo 
and  Rouen,  but  refused  by  those  of  Rochelle,  who 
preferred  to  take  the  chances  of  unlawful  trading. 

Champlain  remained  in  France  until  the  spring  of 
1613,  the  year  in  which  Port  Royal  was  destroyed 
by  Argall  the  Englishman.  Of  this,  of  course,  he 
knew  nothing  at  the  time,  and,  fortunately  for 
Quebec,  the  destroyer  seems  not  to  have  heard  of 
the  little  settlement  under  this  lonely  rock  of  the  St. 
Lawrence. 

While  his  friends  in  Acadia  were  meeting  with 
such  overwhelming  misfortunes,  Champlain  was  as- 
cending the  Ottawa  on  another  exploring  expedition, 
to  which  he  was  lured  by  the  false  report  of  a  young 
Frenchman  who  had  volunteered  to  winter  with  the 
Indians.  This  young  man  brought  to  France  a  won- 
derful story  of  having  ascended  a  northern  river  from 
the  interior,  and  having  discovered  the  shore  of  the 
eastern  sea.  Champlain  believed  him,  and  hastened 
to  Canada  to  follow  up  the  welcome  discovery.  He, 
with  four  Frenchmen  and  two  Indians,  set  out  from 
Mont  Royal  in  two  small  canoes,  which  they  dragged 
with  great  labor  up  the  foaming  rapids  near 
Carillon,  and  reached  the  calmer  stream  which 
sweeps  on  between  high  hills  to  the  present  capital 
of  Canada.  They  lighted  their  camp-fires  at  night 
on  the  shore,  passed  the  snowy  cascade  of  the 
Rideau  and  drew  up  their  canoes  below  the  point 


99 


THE  STONY  OF  CHAMPLAIN. 


m 


t 


^ 

1 

i 

where  the  great  caldron  of  the  Chaiuliere  sends  up 
its  clouds  of  boiling  spray.  Champlain's  Indians  did 
not  fail  to  follow  the  usual  Indian  custom  of  throw- 
ing an  offering  of  tobacco  into  the  cataract  to  please 
its  Manitou  or  guardian  spirit. 

Paddling  on  over  Lake  Chaudi^re  —  obliged  to 
carry  their  canoes  across  a  portage,  where  the  silvery 
cascades  of  the  Chats  Rapids  dashed  down  among 
wooded  islets  —  then  paddling  up  Lake  Coulonge,  they 
reached  at  last  the  settlement  of  the  Ottawa  chief 
Tessouat,  with  its  maize  fields  and  bark  wigwams. 
Here  the  young  Frenchman  had  spent  the  winter, 
and  from  this  point  he  had  set  out  upon  his  supposed 
discoverv. 

Tessouat  hospitably  made  a  feast  for  Champlain, 
at  which  the  viands  were  broiled  fish  and  meat,  with 
a  sort  of  brose  made  of  maize  and  scraps  of  meat 
thrown  in. 

After  the  feast,  when  the  pipes  were  being  smoked, 
Champlain  made  his  request  for  canoes  and  g^uides 
to  follow  up  the  journey  of  his  informant.  But  he 
found,  to  his  great  vexation,  that  the  young  French- 
man's story  was  a  lie,  and  that  he  had  never  gone 
farther  than  the  settlement  of  Tessouat.  Disap- 
pointed and  disheartened,  Champlain  returned  to 
Montreal,  attended  by  a  flotilla  of  Huron  canoes ; 
and,  magnanimously  leaving  the  deceiver  unpun- 
ished, he  sailed  in  a  trading  ship  for  France. 

It  was  two  years  before*  he  returned  to  Canada, 
bringing  with  him  four  Recollet  friars,  who  had 
answered  his  appeal  for  aid  in  the  Mission  to  New 
France.  They  chose  a  site  for  their  home  near  the 
Habitation  of   Champlain,  and  said  the  first   mass, 


j-t 


THE  STORY  OF  CI/AAfPLA/N. 


93 


with  the  entire  settlement  Icneeling  around  them, 
while  a  salute  of  cannon  burst  forth  to  honor  the 
occasion.  Two  of  the  friars  set  out  to  join  the 
IndiaiiS  in  their  roving  life,  living  in  their  filthy  and 
smoky  lode,es  and  sharing  their  privations  in  the  hope 
of  winning  them  to  the  true  faith.  One  of  them, 
Le  Caron,  persevered  in  braving  all  the  hardships  of 
a  winter  among  them,  with  this  great  end  in  view. 

Meantime  the  Hurons  and  Algonquins  were  again 
begging  Champlain  for  help  against  the  Iroquois. 
This  it  seemed  necessary  to  give  them,  in  order  to 
keep  them  united  by  a  common  fear,  and  under  his 
own  influence.  They  met  at  Montreal  in  a  great 
council,  and  Champlain  promised  again  to  join  them 
with  his  men,  while  they  undertook  to  muster  an  army 
of  twenty-five  hundred  men  for  the  proposed  raid  on 
the  Iroquois.  But  when  he  returned  to  join  them, 
the  whole  body  of  Indians,  impatient  of  the  delay, 
had  departed  to  their  homes. 

Disgusted  with  the  childish  caprice  of  his  Indian 
allies,  Champlain  set  out  once  more  to  explore  the 
resfion  of  the  Ottawa.  He  reached  the  limit  of  his 
former  journey,  and  pressed  onward,  avoiding  rapids 
by  portages,  paddling  on  the  stream,  or  forcing  his 
way  through  the  wilderness,  till  he  reached  the  shore 
of  Lake  Nipissing,  the  country  of  which  he  had  heard 
so  much.  His  two  Indians  had  soon  devoured  all 
their  provisions,  and  they  were  obliged  then  to  sub- 
sist mainly  on  blueberries  and  wild  raspberries.  But 
he  still  kept  his  steady  way  westward  until,  paddling 
down  French  River,  they  came  out  on  the  great  ex- 
panse of  Lake  Huron.  Exploring  its  shores  for  a 
hundred   miles,  he   left  his  canoes  somwhere  near 


'■' j 


94 


THE  STORY  OF  CHAM  PLAIN. 


Mr 


'J.ri 


k 


:? 


m 


Thunder  Bay,  and  followed  an  Indian  trail  throii<;h 
the  forest  till  he  met  the  welcome  sight  of  the  broad 
fields  of  maize  and  pumpkins  that  surrounded  tlie 
palisaded  villages  and  long  bark  lodges  of  the  great 
Huron  nation.  At  one  of  the  largest  and  most  pop- 
ulous of  these,  surrounded  by  a  triple  palisade,  thirty- 
five  feet  high,  he  found  the  Franciscan  friar,  Le 
Caron.  The  missionary  had  made  a  little  chapel  of 
the  bark  lodge  built  for  him  by  the  Indians,  and  in 
this  he  taught  all  who  would  come  to  him,  and  on 
the  arrival  of  Champlain  and  his  men,  he  said  mass 
in  his  bark  chapel  with  much  rejoicing. 

Champlain  soon  continued  his  journey  to  the  capi- 
tal of  the  Hurons,  Cahiague,  near  Lake  Simcoe,  and 
then  followed  the  devious  chain  of  lakes  and  rivers 
till  he  came  out  at  last  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Ontario. 
Crossing  it  to  what  is  now  the  American  shore, 
Champlain,  with  the  Huron  army  which  had  followed 
him  from  Cahiague,  pursued  their  way  into  the  coun- 
try of  the  Iroquois. 

An  attack  on  one  of  their  towns,  well  planned  by 
Champlain,  failed  through  the  uncontrollable  rash- 
ness and  stupidity  of  the  undisciplined  Indians. 
Champlain  was  wounded,  and  the  crestfallen  Indians 
would  not  renew  the  attack,  but  retreated  in  despon- 
dency. They  refused  to  escort  Champlain  to  Quebec 
and  he  found  himself  obliged  to  spend  the  winter 
with  them  in  the  country  northeast  of  the  present 
city  of  Kingston.  He  joined  his  hosts  in  their  deer- 
hunts,  and  once  lost  himself  in  the  forests,  in  which 
he  wandered  shelterless  for  days  and  nights.  He 
shared  their  marches  through  mud  and  slush,  or  on 
snow-shoes  through  the  snow-clad  forests.     Finally, 


THE  STOKY  OF  CHAMPLAI^T. 


95 


he  returned  to  Cahiague,  where  the  friar,  Le  C:iron, 
was  still  working  away  in  h"s  difficult  and  solitary 
Mission.  Taking  him  with  him,  Champlain  began 
the  long  and  circuitous  journey  homeward,  settling 
a  quarrel  between  the  In.iians  before  he  left,  and  ex- 
horting them  to  keep  the  peace  among  themselves, 
and  the  alliance  with  the  I'rench,  and  getting  a 
promise  from  the  Nipissings  to  guide  him  to  that 
Northern  Sea  which  he  still  hoped  to  reach. 

In  July,  having  been  absent  for  a  year,  he  returned 
to  Quebec,  accompanied  by  the  chief  Durantal,  who 
had  been  his  host.  He  had  been  reported  dead,  and 
was  greeted  by  the  little  colony  as  one  they  had 
hardly  expected  to  see  again,  and  with  a  hospitality 
and  warmth  that  made  him  almost  forget  his  long 
wanderings  in  the  wilderness,  and  all  the  toil  and 
privations  he  had  undergone 

This  was  the  last  of  Champlain's  long  voyages  of 
discovery.  He  had  penetrated  into  the  depths  of 
the  wilderness  far  beyond  where  any  white  man  had 
gone  before  him,  and  yet  in  all  his  devious  wander- 
ings he  had  never  come  nearer  finding  that  short 
passage  to  India,  which  had  haunted  his  dreams.  He 
seems  to  have  begun  to  feel  the  futility  of  spending 
strength  and  energy  on  so  fruitless  a  quest,  and  also 
the  uselessness  of  wasting  his  time  and  risking  his 
life  in  the  skirmishing  forays  of  the  savages,  \>hich 
led  to  no  result.  He  was  growing  older,  too,  and  per- 
haps the  adventurous  forest  life  that  had  so  fascin- 
ated him  had  somewhat  lost  its  charm.  At  all  events, 
he  now  applied  his  whole  strength  to  fostering  the 
struggling  life  of  his  little  colony,  whose  growth 
was  so  weak  and  slow.     There  was,  as  yet,  only  the 


fl:; 


i  I',  u 


r^'i 


I'M 


Ifi: 


m- 


96 


r//E  STORY  OF  CHAMP/. Am. 


first  small  cluster  of  buildings  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff, 
his  own  Habitation,  the  traders'  warehouses  and 
the  rude  dwelling  and  chapel  of  the  Recollet  friars. 
But  now  he  built  a  small  fort  on  the  height,  behind 
the  present  broad  Terrace,  and  around  it  soon  clus- 
tered a  few  buildings  and  gardens  ;  among  these  the 
house  and  garden  of  the  thrifty  colonist,  Hcbcrt. 
The  Recollets,  too,  some  years  later,  built  their  per- 
manent home  of  stone — Notre  Dame  dcs  Anges  on 
the  winding  St.  Charles  —  a  mile  and  a  half  distant 
from  the  fort. 

Could  Champlain  have  seen,  as  in  a  vision,  the 
stately  city  that  now  crowns  the  promontory,  and 
fills  up  all  the  intervening  space,  he  would  have 
taken  heart  indeed,  and  felt  that  his  labor  had  not 
been  in  vain.  But  then  the  prospect  was  not  hope- 
ful. The  population  of  the  settlement  numbered 
only  fifty  or  sixty  persons,  and  these  were  mainly 
fur-traders,  with  a  few  thriftless  hangers-on.  The 
traders  were  jealous  of  each  other,  and  of  Champlain, 
and  religious  dissensions  increased  the  lack  of  har- 
mony. Still  Champlain  labored  for  its  advancement 
with  undaunted  devotion,  going  every  year  to  France, 
to  watch  over  its  interests  there. 

In  1620  he  brought  his  young  and  beautiful  wife 
to  her  Canadian  home,  which,  with  buildings  already 
falling  into  ruin,  must  have  seemed  cheerless  indeed 
to  a  young  and  gentle  lady  reared  in  all  the  luxury 
of  France.  She  took  a  warm  interest,  however,  in 
the  Indians,  who  were  so  impressed  by  her  beauty 
and  gentleness  that  they  were  ready  to  worship  her 
as  a  divinity.  She  lived  four  years  in  Canada,  find- 
ing her  chief  interest  in  teaching  the  squaws  and 


.:it. 


THE  STORY  OF  CHAMn.Arisr. 


97 


! 


their  children,  but  she  at  length  followed  her  own 
strong  desire  to  return  to  France,  and  spend  the 
rest  of  her  life  in  an  Ursuline  convent. 

So  things  went  on  at  Quebec,  amid  troubles  from 
the  emigrants,  from  the  traders,  and  occasionally  from 
the  Indians.  Even  the  Montagnais,  forgetful  of  past 
kindnesses,  attempted  an  attack  on  the  colony,  which 
was  quickly  frustrated  ;  the  Iroquois,  with  more  ex- 
cuse, assembled  in  threatening  numbers,  and  even 
went  so  far  as  to  make  an  unsuccessful  assault  on  the 
RecoUet  convent,  which  had  happily  been  fortified. 

In  1625  three  Jesuit  Fathers  arrived  ;  the  first  of 
the  noted  order  to  reach  Quebec,  where  it  was  long 
to  play  an  important  part.  Champlain,  three  years 
later,  began  to  re-build  the  fort,  having  with  difficulty 
procured  from  the  traders  the  means  of  doing  so. 
Besides  Quebec,  there  were  now  four  trading  sta- 
tions :  Quebec,  Trois  Rivieres,  Place  Royale,  and 
the  first  and  most  important  of  all,  Tadousac,  be- 
sides a  pasture  outpost  at  Cape  Tourmente. 

In  1627  the  great  Richelieu  came  to  the  aid  of 
Champlain  and  New  France,  by  forming  the  "  Com- 
pany of  the  Hundred  Associates,"  having  sovereign 
power  over  the  whole  of  North  America,  included 
under  the  name  of  New  France,  with  a  perpetual 
monopoly  of  the  fur-trade.  The  Associates  were 
bound  by  their  contract  to  increase,  by  emigration, 
the  population  of  New  France  to  four  thousand  per- 
sons, and  to  provide  for  their  maintenance,  and  give 
them  cleared  land  on  which  to  settle.  They  were 
also  to  maintain  exclusively  the  Roman  Catholic  form 
of  religion,  and  the  Huguenots  were  to  be  absolutely 
expelled  from  the  colony.     Champlain  was  one  of  the 


m.  \ 


T 


9» 


THE  STORY  OF  CHAMPl.AIN. 


f  *■ 


I. 


Associates,  and  their  capital  amounted  to  three  hun- 
dred thousand  livres. 

No  sooner  had  this  company  been  founded,  how- 
ever, than  a  similar  calamity  to  that  which  had 
destroyed  Port  Royal,  descended  upon  Quebec. 
England  was  as  much  opposed  as  ever  to  sharing 
with  France  the  North  American  continent,  and  just 
as  the  famished  inhabitants  of  Quebec  were  anxiously 
looking  out  for  a  fleet  of  transports  which  was  to 
bring  them  much  needed  supplies,  a  fleet  of  six  ves- 
sels, under  David  Kirke,  a  Dieppe  Protestant  in 
English  employ,  bore  down  toward  Quebec.  With 
dilapidated  defenses  and  an  almost  empty  magazine, 
resistance  seemed  hopeless.  The  French  transports 
were  taken  by  the  English  ships  on  their  way,  and 
the  long-looked-for  supplies  were  seized  or  sunk  in 
the  river.  The  conquering  squadron  then  sailed 
home,  leaving  the  colony  to  a  winter  of  starvation. 
By  spring  they  had  exhausted  everything  left  to 
them,  and  were  forced  to  look  for  wild  roots  and 
acorns  to  satisfy  their  hunger. 

Champlain  even  thought  of  making  a  raid  on  the 
Iroquois,  to  procure  food.  In  July  the  English  ves- 
sels returned,  and  a  boat,  with  a  flag  of  truce,  was 
sent  off  to  demand  capitulation.  Anything  else 
would  have  been  useless.  The  English  undertook 
to  convey  the  French  to  their  homes,  and  very  soon 
the  red-cross  flag  had  taken  the  place  of  the  Fleur- 
de-lis  on  the  scene  of  Champlain's  long  and  perse- 
vering labors.  The  blow  was  a  heavy  one,  but  even 
yet  he  did  not  give  up  his  enterprise.  He  sailed  with 
Kirke's  squadron  for  London,  where  he  represented 
the  facts   to  the   French  ambassador,  who  secured 


THE  STORY  OF  CHAM  PLAIN. 


99 


:  hun- 

how- 

\   had 
iiebec. 
tiaring 
id  just 
ciously 
was  to 
iix  ves- 
ant    in 

With 
igazine, 
nsports 
ray,  and 
sunk  in 
\  sailed 
jvation. 

left   to 
lots  and 


from  the  English  king  the  restoration  of  New  France 
to  its  original  possessor,  in  fulfillment  of  a  treaty 
made  in  the  previous  April. 

In  1632  the  French  Admiral  Caen  demanded  the 
surrender  of  Quebec  from  Thomas  Kirke,  and  the 
French  Lily  again  floated  from  the  heights  in  place 
of  the  English  Cross.  In  the  following  spring 
Champlain  resumed  command.  The  remaining  two 
years  of  his  life  were  quiet  and  uneventful  ;  spent  in 
attending  to  the  internal  affairs  of  the  colony. 
Aided  by  the  Jesuit  Le  Jeune,  he  maintained  an 
earnest,  religious  ritual  and  a  strict  discipline,  which 
made  the  colony  resemble  a  great  convent.  Faith- 
ful to  his  great  aim  of  converting  the  Indians  to 
Christianity,  he  sought  to  win  their  regard  by  every 
possible  kindness.  But  his  active  life,  so  devoted 
to  the  interests  of  New  France,  was  almost  over  now, 
and  on  Christmas  Day,  1635,  ^  Quebec  mourned, 
with  good  cause,  for  the  brave  leader  and  true  knight 
who  had  entered  into  his  well-earned  rest. 


on  the 
lish  ves- 
ice,  was 
[ng   else 
]dertook 
ky  soon 
Flcnr- 
perse- 
J)Ut  even 
lied  with 
[•esented 
1  secured 


Pi 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  PERE  LE  JEUNE. 


Si 

I 


;      if:' 

I 
i 


I 


■*-f 


WHEN  the  brave  Champlain  died,  it  seemed  at 
first  as  if  the  heart  and  life  of  New  France 
were  gone.  Yet  during  the  months  that  elapsed 
before  a  new  governor  could  succeed  him  in  com- 
mand, there  were  still  at  the  little  settlement  of 
Quebec  some  faithful  and  dauntless  souls,  to  whom 
the  interests  of  the  Canadian  Mission  were  as  dear 
as  they  had  been  to  the  dead  governor.  These  were 
the  Jesuit  missionaries,  who  for  some  years  had  been 
working  at  Quebec  under  their  devoted  and  energetic 
Superior  P^re  Le  Jcune. 

It  has  been  told,  in  the  story  of  Champlain,  how, 
some  twenty  years  before  his  death,  four  Fran- 
ciscan friars,  belonging  to  the  Reformed  Branch  of 
the  order  called  the  Recollets,  had  responded  to 
his  appeal  on  behalf  of  the  ignorant  Indian  sav- 
ages ;  and  also  how  they  built  for  themselves  the 
Convent  of  Notre  Dame  des  Anges,  on  the  bank  of 
the  St.  Charles  ;  while  one  of  them.  Father  Le  Caron, 
went  far  inland  on  a  perilous  and  toilsome  mission 
to  the  Hurc.is,  Two  more  friars  followed  their 
brethren  to  Canada,  and  these  six  men  labored  un- 
tiringly until  they  had  established  five  distinct  Indian 
Missions  from  Acadia  to  Lake  Huron. 

But  for  such  a  vast  extent  of  country  many  more 

100 


THE   ADl'EXTUKES  OF  PEKE   LE  JEL'NE.       loi 


laborers  were  needed,  and  the  Kecolkts  applied  for 
help  to  the  strong  order  of  the  Jesuits,  always  ready 
for  the  most  arduous  and  perilous  undertakings.  In 
i6ii  P6re  Biard  the  Jesuit  had  arrived  at  Port 
Royal  ;  the  first  missionary  to  the  Indians  who 
landed  on  the  northern  coasts  of  the  continent.  One 
of  his  companions,  luiemond  Masse,  obliged  like  him 
to  return  home  when  Port  Royal  was  destroyed, 
was  now  sent  out  again,  along  with  two  others, 
whose  names  must  always  live  in  Canadian  history ; 
Jean  de  Hrcbeuf  and  Charles  Lallemant.  When 
the  three  Jesuits  landed  at  Quebec,  after  a  long  and 
tedious  voyage,  no  one  welcomed  them,  and  it  seemed 
as  if  no  one  wanted  them.  The  traders  would  have 
nothing  to  do  with  them  ;  the  Huguenot  commander 
De  Caen  naturally  dreaded  the  Jesuits,  and  in  Cham- 
plain's  absence,  would  not  admit  them  into  the  Fort. 
The  three  Recollet  Fathers,  however,  soon  appeared 
in  their  boats,  and  took  the  strangers  to  their  little 
convent  on  the  St.  Charles.  And  as  two  more  of 
the  order,  Noiret  and  De  La  None,  soon  after  arrived, 
bringing  twenty  artisans  with  them,  it  was  not  long 
before  they  had  an  abode  of  their  own.  In  the  fol- 
lowing spring  Pere  de  Brebeuf  and  Pere  de  la  Noue 
set  out  with  a  party  of  Indians  to  visit  the  country 
of  the  Hurons.  As  Brebeuf  was  a  very  tall  and 
large  man,  the  Indians  pretended  to  be  afraid  to  take 
him  into  their  canoes  lest  he  should  upset  them,  and 
he  had  to  give  them  many  presents  before  they  would 
consent.  However,  he  finally  induced  them  to  take 
him,  and  the  two  priests  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
country,  which  afterwards  became  the  scene  of  Br^- 
beuf's  devoted  labors  and  tragic  death.     They  seem 


102        THE  ADVENTURES  OF  PEKE  LE  JEUNE. 


w: 


';^j 


to  have*  spent  three  years  among  the  Hurons,  though 
but  little  is  known  of  their  Mission  at  that  time. 

But  the  capture  of  Quebec  by  David  Kirke  put  an 
end,  for  a  time,  to  the  Jesuit  Mission  in  New  France, 
and  no  one  seems  to  have  thought  again  of  the  con- 
version of  the  Indians  until  the  rocky  fastness  was 
restored  to  the  French.  The  French  noble  who 
then  acted  in  Paris  as  Viceroy  of  New  France,  be- 
longed to  a  monkish  order,  and  as  his  chief  desire 
was  the  conversion  of  the  Indians,  he  himself  sent  out 
several  Jesuits  as  soon  as  the  Frencli  Hag  again  waved 
over  the  fort  of  St.  Louis.  One  of  these,  Pere  Le 
Jeune,  was  called  from  his  convent  at  Dieppe  to 
take  charge  of  this  great  work,  in  which  his  zeal, 
courage  and  energy  made  him  of  signal  service. 
With  two  other  Jesuits,  Pere  de  la  Noiie  and  a  lay 
brother  named  Gilbeit,  he  crossed  the  stormy  ocean, 
and  sailed  up  the  great  gulf  until  he  came  to  an 
anchorage  in  the  rocky  bay  of  Tadousac.  Here  Pere 
Le  Jeune  and  his  brethren  first  saw  the  savages  for 
whose  sake  they  had  come  so  far  They  looked,  he 
said,  very  like  masqueraders  at  a  French  carnival. 
Their  faces  were  grotesquely  painted  in  black,  red 
and  blue,  and  they  wore  no  clothing  but  shaggy  bear- 
skins in  cold  weather.  He  saw  a  sample,  too,  of  their 
savage  cruelty,  for  they  were  preparing  to  burn  alive 
some  Iroquois  prisoners  taken  in  war  ;  nor  could  all 
the  entreaties  of  Le  Jeune  and  his  companions  per- 
suade them  to  spare  more  than  one  of  their  victims. 
The  sight  of  these  poor  creatures,  singing  and  danc- 
ing for  the  amusement  of  their  tormentors,  as  was 
the  horrible  custom  among  them,  would,  the  good 
Father  said,  have  "  melted  a  heart  of  bronze."     He 


THE  AnVEXTURES  OF  PERE  LE  JECXE.      103 


IkuI  come  to  New  Trance  simply  in  obedience  to 
orders  ;  but  from  that  time  his  wliolc  heart  was 
absorbed  in  seeking  the  salvation  of  these  wretched 
sava;;cs. 

After  Ijcing  storm-tossed  in  the  river,  and  half- 
devoured  by  mosquitoes  where  he  landed,  P^re 
Le  Jeune  arrived  at  Quebec  to  behold  a  scene 
of  desolation.  The  Habitation  was  a  blackened 
ruin,  and  nothings  remained  of  the  poor  little  dwell- 
ings, either  of  the  Jesuits  or  the  Rccollets,  but  a 
heap  of  overturned  stones.  Outside  the  Fort  the 
only  building  still  standing  was  the  substantial  stone 
cottage  of  Mrtdamc  H(^bert,  where  the  good  Fathers 
said  mass,  to  the  great  joy  of  all  present. 

The  Knglishmen  having  departed,  in  obedience  to 
the  demand  to  surrender,  the  Fathers  returned  to 
their  ruined  abode,  where  they  found  nothing  left 
but  two  tables.  However,  they  set  to  work  cour- 
ageously to  make  it  habitable  and  to  cultivate  their 
ravaged  fields.  They  were  somewhat  cheered  by 
the  return  of  an  Indian  neighbor  whom  they  had 
taught  to  till  the  ground,  and  who  now  declared  that 
he  wislied  to  be  their  brother  and  live  as  they  did. 
He  l)rought  with  them  his  little  boy,  whom  the  mis- 
sionaries took  into  their  house  to  teach,  along  with  a 
little  negro  whom  the  English  had  left  with  Madame 
Hebert.  P^re  Le  Jeune  was  so  happy  with  his  little 
scholars,  teaching  the  alphabet  to  the  little  Indian 
on  the  one  side  and  the  negro  on  the  other  —  though 
neither  one  of  the  three  understood  the  others  — 
that  he  declared  he  would  not  exchange  his  two 
dusky  pupils  for  the  best  audience  in  France. 

P^re  Le  Jeune  had  further  proofs  of  the  confidence 


ii 


104       THE  ADVENTURES  OF  PEKE   LE  JEUNE. 


ii»" 


of  the  savages  in  their  trusting  him  with  some  of 
their  valued  possessions  during  his  absence.  But 
he  felt  that  he  was  getting  on  very  slowly  with  the 
task  of  learning  their  language,  and,  in  order  to  get 
nearer  to  them  and  to  try  to  talk  with  them,  he  set 
out  one  day  to  find  a  camp  of  Algonquin s  who  were 
fishing  for  eels  near  Quebec.  Lest  he  should  lose 
his  way  in  the  woods,  he  walked  around  the  foot  of 
the  Cape,  — "a  frightful  road,"  as  he  calls  it  — forcing 
his  way  on  hands  and  knees  through  a  narrow  pas- 
sage among  the  rocks,  and  dragging  down  upon  him- 
self a  fallen  tree  that  nearly  swept  him  into  the  river, 
lie  found  the  wigwams  filled,  and  surrounded  with 
"an  incredible  quantity  of  eels;"  nothing  else  was 
to  be  seen.  He  found  a  little  boy  he  knew,  who  in- 
vited him  into  his  grandmother's  wigwam.  The  old 
squaw  gave  him  four  dried  eels  and  cooked  them  for 
him  on  the  embers.  He  sat  down  to  dine  with  the 
boy,  his  mother  and  grandmother,  in  their  wigwam. 
After  dinner  his  hosts  wiped  their  fingers  on  their 
long  hair  or  that  of  their  dogs  ;  but  seeing  that  Pere 
Le  Jeune  looked  for  something  else,  they  kindly  gave 
him  some  powder  made  of  wood,  which  they  used  for 
scrubbing  their  children,  liut  Pere  Lc  Jeune  did  not 
succeed  well  in  his  attempts  to  talk  to  them  ;  and  he 
felt  that  to  try  to  learn  the  language  in  this  way 
would  involve  so  great  a  loss  of  time  that  he  must 
seek  some  other  expedient. 

It  was  not  easy  to  find  an  interpreter,  for  the  French, 
who  knew  the  Algonquin  language,  did  not  care  to 
help  the  Jesuits.  But  there  was  a  worthless  Indian 
named  Pierre,  hanging  about  the  Fort,  who  had  been 
taken  by  the  RecoUets  to  France  and  had  there  been 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  PERE   LE  JEUNE.       105 


baptized.  On  his  return  to  Canada,  however,  he  had 
gone  back  to  his  old  habits,  had  quarrelled  with  the 
French  Commandant,  and  had  come  to  beg  food 
and  shelter  at  the  convent.  He  spoke  both  good 
French  and  good  Indian,  and  Pere  Le  Jeune  wel- 
comed him  as  a  gift  from  Heaven,  and  induced  him 
to  teach  him  the  Algonquin  tongue.  Some  of  his 
kind  friends  in  France  had  given  him  a  donation  of 
tobacco,  and  this  he  found  of  great  use  in  keeping 
his  teacher  attentive  and  in  good  humor  through  the 
tedious  lesson.  He  found  the  language  difficult, 
because  so  different  from  his  own,  yet  rich  in  words 
so  far  as  it  went.  The  father  of  his  Indian  pupil  had 
built  a  hut  on  the  ruins  of  the  R^collet  Convent,  and 
was  anxious  that  the  good  Father  should  learn  his 
language  soon,  so  as  to  be  able  to  instruct  him  in  the 
religion  he  had  come  to  teach. 

Meantime  the  winter  came  on,  the  cold  grew  in- 
tense, the  river  froze  into  a  solid  highway,  and  the 
little  convent  was  half  buried  in  snow-drifts.  A 
narrow  path  to  it  was  cleared,  day  by  day,  and  the  solid 
white  wall  of  snow  rose  two  feet  above  its  eaves, 
P6re  Le  Jeune  found  his  ink  frozen  even  near  the 
great  fire  of  logs  that  blazed  in  the  wide  chimney, 
and  he  had  to  keep  a  little  fire  of  charcoal  by  his  desk 
to  thaw  it.  At  night,  as  the  two  Fathers  sat  by  their 
blazing  pine-knots,  they  would  hear  the  trees  cracking 
in  the  intense  cold  like  pistol  shots.  By  day  the 
bright  winter  sunshine  struggled  through  the  frost- 
crusted  panes  while  P^re  Le  Jeune  wrote  his  "  Rela- 
tions "  or  learned  from  the  lazy  Pierre  the  grammar 


and  vocabulary  of 
Fathers   practised 


the  strange  Indian  tongue 


Th( 


I  ^ 


walking   on    snow-shoes,  making 


lo6      THE  ADVENTURES  OF  PERE  LE  JEUNE. 


v  \ 


the  Indians  at  first  laugh  at  their  falls,  but  soon  learn- 
ing to  use  them  skillfully,  and  even  to  slide  down  the 
hills,  changing  their  black  robes  to  white  ones  in  the 
descent.  One  of  the  hunting  parties  which  sometimes 
passed,  invited  P^re  de  la  Noue  to  go  to  Cape 
Tourmente  to  partake  of  their  game.  He  went  to 
please  them,  but  after  three  weeks  was  brought  back 
on  a  sledge,  half-dead  with  cold  and  unwonted  priva- 
tion. "  Not  two  priests  in  a  hundred,"  wrote  Pere  Le 
Jeune,  "could  stand  this  winter  life  with  the  Indians." 
He  himself  proved  to  be  one  of  the  few  who  could. 

Two  more  Indian  children  had  been  brought 
to  him  to  teach,  and  whenever  a  wandering  band  ap- 
proached, he  would  ring  a  bell  to  attract  the  children. 
His  capricious  teacher  Pierre  had  departed  to  join 
his  friends  in  their  hunting,  having  previously  run 
away  to  avoid  the  Lenten  fast,  and  returned  after 
two  days  of  absolute  starvation.  He  had  been  a 
rather  unsatisfactory  instructor,  for  he  would  not 
teach  except  when  in  the  humor  for  it.  But  Pere 
Le  Jeune  had  collected  into  a  little  dictionary  all  the 
Algonquin  words  he  could  hear  of ;  and  when  he 
had  mustered  about  twenty  pupils,  he  wrote  out  a 
little  lesson-book  for  them  in  their  own  language, 
which  he  found  they  could  easily  understand.  He 
gathered  in  every  day  all  the  children  who  would 
come,  and  taught  them  the  Creed,  the  Lord's  Prayer 
and  his  little  catechism  ;  rewarding  them  for  their 
diligence  with  a  porringer  of  boiled  peas.  It  gave 
him  great  delight  to  hear  them  saying  or  singing 
these  lessons  as  they  ran  about  in  the  woods,  and  to 
know  that  they  used  to  repeat  them  also  to  their 
mothers  at  home. 


Wh' 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  FERE  LE  JEUNE.      107 


The  good  Fathers  had  much  reason  to  rejoice 
when  the  warm  spring  days  melted  the  snow  from 
the  mountains,  and  budding  trees  and  opening  flowers 
greeted  their  gladdened  eyes.  But  it  was  a  still  more 
joyful  day  when  the  cannon  booming  from  the  fort 
told  them  the  good  news  that  Champlain  had  arrived 
from  France ;  and  even  more  so  when  the  tall  famil- 
iar figure  of  Pere  Brebeuf  appeared  at  their  door. 
This  brave  man  had  come  back  to  the  scene  of  his 
former  labors  as  full  of  ardent  zeal  for  the  souls  of 
the  poor  Indians  as  P^re  Le  Jeune  himself.  There 
was  a  joyful  meeting  ;  and  very  soon  Father  Masse, 
and  two  new  laborers,  Daniel  and  Davost,  were 
added  to  the  little  family  at  Notre  Dame  des  Anges. 
And  so  many  kind  letters  and  tokens  of  remembrance 
had  come  for  the  good  Fathers  in  their  Canadian  ex- 
ile, that  Pere  Le  Jeune's  gratitude  overflowed  in  the 
pious  exclamation,  "What  shall  I  render  to  the 
Lord  for  his  gifts  to  me  } " 

For  some  time  longer  the  Fathers  all  lived  together 
in  the  little  Mission  House,  tilling  their  fields  and 
teaching  and  baptizing  as  they  had  opportunity. 
P^re  Masse  was  called  the  **  Useful  Father,"  because 
he  took  charge  of  the  cows  and  pigs  of  the  Mission. 
P^re  de  la  Noue  overlooked  the  laborers  employed 
in  field  work,  and  had  no  easy  task,  for  the  men  were 
often  discontented  in  this  strange  land.  But  all  the 
while  the  great  work  for  which  they  had  come  was 
their  chief  thought  by  day  and  night.  For  it  they 
were  determined  to  live  or  die,  as  God  pleased. 

It  seemed  to  them  that  the  only  way  in  which  they 
could  do  much  to  convert  the  Indians  would  be  by 
going  to  live  among  them  ;  and  this  both  P^re  Brebeuf 


io8      THE  ADVENTURES  OF  PERE  LE  JEUNE, 


f  • 


Pl 


■i  ' 


and  P^ie  Le  Jeune  were  most  anxious  to  do.  P^re 
Brebeuf's  desire  was  to  go  back  to  the  Hurons  in  the 
West,  among  whom  he  had  formerly  labored  ;  and 
Champlain  endeavored  to  arrange  for  his  going 
thither.  When  the  canoe  fleet  of  the  Hurons  came 
down  in  July  on  their  annual  visit  for  council,  trade, 
barter  and  feasting,  Champlain  introduced  to  the 
assembled  chiefs  the  three  Jesuits  Brebeuf,  Daniel 
and  Davost,  telling  them  that  these  men  were  not 
going  among  them  for  their  furs,  but  had  left  their 
own  country  out  of  love  for  them,  in  order  to  show 
them  the  way  to  Heaven. 

The  Indians  welcomed  them  heartily,  and  the 
Fathers  prepared  for  their  journey.  But  at  the  last 
moment  there  arose  an  unforeseen  difficulty  in  conse- 
quence of  a  trouble  that  existed  between  the  French 
and  the  Indians.  An  Algonquin  who  lived  on  the 
Ottawa  River  had  murdered  a  Frenchman,  and  as 
Champlain  would  not  accede  to  the  Indians'  petition 
for  his  release,  it  was  thought  safer  to  defer  Pere 
Brebeuf's  journey  till  another  season. 

The  next  October,  however,  Pere  Le  Jeune  left  his 
beloved  little  Mission  House,  and  joining  a  party  of 
Algonquin s,  agreed  to  share  their  wild  roving  life 
for  a  whole  winter.  It  was  a  beautiful  bright  day  in 
October,  and  the  sun  was  shining  softly  on  woods 
dyed  with  nch  autumn  tints,  when  P^re  Le  Jeune 
set  out  in  his  skiff,  following  the  canoes  of  his  dusky 
companions.  He  was  supplied  with  a  little  store  of 
provisions  —  biscuit,  flour,  corn,  prunes  and  turnips; 
and  against  his  own  judgment,  he  was  persuaded  to 
take  also  a  little  keg  of  wine,  which  the  Indians  faith- 
fully promised  not  to  touch.     The  leader  of  the  band 


THE  ADVENTURES   OF  PERE  LE  JEUNE.      109 


tion 
*ere 


June 
I  sky 
e  of 
ips; 
d  to 
lith- 
>and 


was  Mestigoit,  brother  of  Pierre,  who  himself  was 
one  of  the  party,  as  was  also  his  half  insane  brother, 
caLed  by  P^re  Le  Jeune,  "the  Sorcerer,"  because  of 
his  pretensions  to  magical  power. 

The  affectionate  adieus  were  said  on  the  shore, 
Champlain  charging  Mestigoit  to  protect  the  good 
Father.  The  chief  replied  that  if  Pere  Le  Jeune 
should  die,  he  would  die,  too,  and  never  be  seen  there 
again.  The  canoes,  carrying  in  all  about  twenty  men, 
women  and  children,  glided  down  past  the  glowing 
island  of  Orleans  and  were  beached  for  the  night  on  a 
small  island  below,  for  which  the  Indians  had  a  long 
name,  and  which  in  the  soft  autumn  sunset,  P6re  Le 
Jeune  admired  very  much.  The  squaws,  as  usual, 
began  to  cut  poles  for  their  wigwams,  and  cover  them 
with  the  great  sheets  of  birch  bark  which  they  carried 
with  them,  while  the  men  went  to  look  for  game  for 
their  supper.  While  all  were  busy,  the  graceless 
Pierre  stole  back  to  the  boats,  and  helped  himself 
liberally  from  P^re  Le  Jeune's  little  keg  of  wine, 
which  set  his  Indian  blood  on  fire,  and  sent  him  back 
to  the  camp  a  raging  maniac.  He  tried  to  pull  down 
the  half-built  wigwams,  and  so  terrified  the  squaws 
that  they  fled  in  dismay,  the  frantic  Pierre  being  only 
stopped  in  his  career  of  mischief  by  a  doncJic  from  a 
kettle  of  boiling  water  which  he  was  trying  to  over- 
turn. 

Poor  P^re  Le  Jeune  was  glad  to  retreat  to  a  quiet 
place  in  the  woods  for  his  evening  devotions,  and 
there  a  kindly  squaw  made  him  a  bed  of  leaves  and 
gave  him  a  coverlet  of  bark.  It  was  a  novel  experi- 
ence, but  he  found  that  although,  as  he  said,  "his  bed 
had  not  been  made  up  since  the  creation  of  the  world, 


i  3 
.  <  I 


I 


III    ■  i: 


W'v 


no      ////i  ADVENTURES  OF  PERE  LE  JEUNE. 

it  was  not  at  all  impossible  to  sleep  well  upon  it." 
Next  day  he  would  have  thrown  the  keg  into  the  sea ; 
but  his  host  begged  him  to  refrain,  promising  that 
no  one  should  touch  it,  and  the  Father  prudently 
used  it  himself,  lest  the  Indians  should  become  in- 
toxicated while  on  the  river,  and  so  come  into  peril 
of  their  lives. 

This  beginning  was  a  foretaste  of  what  P^re  Le 
Jeune  had  to  expect  in  his  wandering  life  with  these 
wild  and  childish  savages.  For  some  weeks  they 
paddled  from  one  island  to  another  in  search  of  game 
—  the  one  object  of  their  lives.  Once  they  were 
imprisoned  by  storms  on  a  bleak  little  islet,  where 
they  could  scarcely  find  poles  enough  to  build  their 
wigwam,  and  where  they  had  nothing  to  eat  except  a 
little  biscuit  that  the  good  Father  gave  them  from 
his  little  store,  and  nothing  to  drink  —  for  the  river 
was  salt  there  —  except  the  rain-water  they  found  in 
the  clefts  of  the  rocks,  which  the  good  Father  drank 
with  as  much  relish  as  he  would  have  taken  the  best 
wine  in  France.  At  last,  in  November,  the  Indians 
beached  their  canoes  on  an  island,  and  waded  across 
the  flats  to  the  south  shore.  Then  began  a  five 
months*  dreary  tramp  through  a  wild  and  moun- 
tainous country  that  was  soon  enwrapped  in  snow ; 
up  rugged  hillsides  and  down  into  deep  valleys, 
through  dense  forests,  blocked  with  fallen  trees, 
qc  '  uiorasses  and  mountain-torrents  and  over  lakes 
ir.i  r'e*o — all  speedily  encased  in  solid  sheets 
fj   :ce. 

T  ;<«->  .M  'ians,  now  numbering  about  forty-fiv^e,  would 
encamp  for  a  few  days,  and  then  tramp  over  the  snow 
to  another  stopping  place,  Pere  Le  Jeune  trudging 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  PERE  I.E  JEUNE.      m 


on  with  them,  laden  like  the  rest.  Sometimes  they 
drew  their  game  and  other  burdens  on  long  narrow 
sleds  called  tobogans,  but  usually  all  carried  as  much 
as  they  could  bear,  as  they  plodded  on  through  the 
dense,  tangled  forest.  As  soon  as  they  arrived  at  a 
camping  place,  the  men  set  to  work  to  dig  out  a  clear 
spot  in  the  snow.  This  would  give  them  pure  white 
walls  of  solid  snow,  four  or  five  feet  thick.  The 
squaws  cut  their  poles  which  were  then  stuck  fast 
in  the  snow,  drawn  together  at  the  top,  and  covered 
with  the  rolls  of  birch  bark.  A  skin  was  hung  across 
the  opening  left  for  a  door  ;  the  floor  and  walls  were 
lined  with  spruce  or  hemlock  boughs  and  twigs,  and 
the  wigwam  was  ready  for  use.  Then  a  fire  was 
lighted  in  the  center,  at  which  they  cooked  their 
game,  when  they  had  any,  and  melted  snow  for  water, 
while  they  reposed  on  the  rough  carpeting  of  spruce 
or  hemlock  that  served  them  for  beds  by  night. 

Pere  Le  Jeune  did  not  find  the  atmosphere  of  the 
wigwam  much  pleasanter  than  the  bitter  cold  with- 
out. The  big  fire  almost  roasted  his  feet,  while  the 
piercing  cold  air  streamed  through  the  crevices  in 
the  birch  bark,  and  at  night  his  head  rested  almost 
entirely  on  the  snow,  while  through  the  opening 
above  him  he  could  watch  the  stars  almost  as  well  as 
in  the  open  air.  The  dogs  which  slept  in  the  wig- 
wam with  their  masters,  scrambled  over  him  in  their 
search  for  a  bone  or  a  resting-place  ;  but  as  he  had 
no  blankets,  he  was  often  glad  of  the  warmth  they 
afforded  him.  The  smoke  was  his  greatest  trouble. 
It  was  often  so  dense  that  he  had  to  lie  on  his  back 
for  hours,  in  order  to  breathe.  It  made  eyes,  nostrils 
and  throat  smart  severely,  and  when  he  tried  to  read 


■ 


\  8 ; 


w 


Ilil 


lia       THE   ADyENTURES  OF  PERE   LE  JEUNE, 


his  breviary,  it  seemed  written  in  letters  of  blood. 
Yet  if  he  sought  refuge  without,  the  freezing  cold 
soon  drove  him  in  again  to  his  wretched  shelter. 

But  worst  of  all  P^re  Le  Jeune's  trials,  was  the 
conduct  of  the  renegade  Pierre  and  his  mad  brother, 
"  the  Sorcerer."  Pierre  was  a  miserable  coward,  too 
weak  to  oppose  his  brother,  and  he  would  not  even 
act  as  interpreter  when  the  Father  wished  to  say 
anything  that  the  "Sorcerer"  might  dislike.  This 
madman  had  great  influence  over  the  Indians,  and 
kept  them  from  listening  to  P^re  Le  Jeune  ;  for  he 
knew  very  well  that  if  they  should  believe  what  the 
Father  taught  them,  he  could  no  longer  deceive  them. 
So  he  did  all  he  could  to  set  them  against  Pere  Le 
Jeune,  and  tormented  him  greatly  by  his  frightful 
yells  and  incantations,  used  as  a  charm  against  a 
chronic  disease.  Pere  Le  Jeune  was  himself  pros- 
trated by  severe  illness,  and  the  incessant  and  deaf- 
ening shouts  of  the  wretched  maniac  made  sleep 
impossible,  until,  worn  out  with  fatigue,  exposure  and 
scanty  food,  it  seemed  as  though  he  must  die. 

The  difficulty  of  procuring  food  was  greatest  in  the 
early  days  of  the  winter,  when  there  was  not  yet 
sufficient  snow  to  enable  the  Indians  to  hunt  the 
moose  on  snowshoes,  while  the  beaver  on  which  they 
mainly  depended,  was  exceedingly  scarce.  It  often 
happened  that  the  party  had  but  one  meal  in  two  days, 
and  as  P^re  Le  Jeune  had  long  since  shared  with 
them  his  little  stock  of  provisions,  he  fared  no  better 
than  did  the  rest.  Once  he  lost  his  way,  and  when 
he  found  the  camp  at  last,  after  long  wanderings,  he 
got  for  supper  a  little  melted  snow.  But  his  sorest 
trouble  was  that  he  could  scarcely  induce  them  to 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  PEKE  LE  JEU.XE.      113 


listen  to  the  Gospel  which  he  had  come  so  far  to 
bring  to  them. 

On  Christmas  Eve,  1633,  the  company  of  dusky 
wanderers,  wrapped  in  their  furs  and  deerskins,  ac- 
companied by  Pere  Le  Jeune  in  his  long  black  cas- 
sock and  wide,  looped  hat,  halted  about  sunset,  and 
prepared  to  encamp.  The  men,  when  they  had 
cleared  the  space  for  the  wigwam,  went  to  look  for 
game,  while  the  squaws  prepared  the  wigwam.  P^re 
Le  Jeune,  weary  as  he  was,  was  fain  to  warm  himself 
by  helping  with  his  benumbed  hands  to  dresser  la 
cabane.  Ere  the  two  huts  were  completed,  the  orange 
tints  of  sunset  that  gleamed  through  the  bare  trees 
faded  into  purple  twilight,  while  the  diamond  points 
of  the  stars  began  to  sparkle  through  the  clear  air. 
All  were  glad  when  the  big  fire  was  lighted  and 
diffused  its  genial  warmth  through  the  spruce-car- 
peted wigwam,  though  the  cold  blasts  still  found  their 
easy  way  through  the  bearskin  curtain  and  the  crev- 
ices in  the  walls. 

But  when  the  hunters  came  in,  they  brought  only 
a  porcupine  and  a  hare  ;  a  scanty  meal  for  so  many. 
Pere  Le  Jeune  had  learned  by  this  time  to  "  suffer 
want,"  and  as  he  took  a  quiet  walk  through  the 
lonely  forest,  lighted  only  by  the  stars  and  the  quiv- 
ering white  radiance  of  the  Aurora,  he  thought  of 
the  manger  at  Bethlehem,  and  counted  it  a  privilege 
to  share  the  lot  of  Him  who  came  "to  seek  and  save 
the  lost."  And  the  same  thought  cheered  him  as  he 
lay  down  on  his  rude  couch  of  spruce  boughs  and  felt 
the  dumb  creatures  that  shared  his  lodging,  scram- 
bling over  him  as  he  tried  to  sleep. 

As  P^re  Le  Jeune  and  the  other  sleepers  awoke 


it's 

i 


ni 


:'!■ 


114      THE  ADVENTURES  OF  PERE  LE  JEUNE. 


\^ 


Wf 


on  Christmas  morning,  there  was  little  prospect  of 
Christmas  cheer  for  any  of  them.  Every  morsel  of 
the  porcupine  and  hare  had  been  devoured  the  even- 
ing before  ;  even  the  bones  had  been  eagerly  gnawed 
by  the  hungry  dogs.  Little  hope,  too,  had  the  de- 
spondent hunters  of  finding  another,  as  with  sad  and 
haggard  faces,  they  looked  wistfully  at  their  almost 
useless  bows  and  arrows,  so  scarce  was  the  game  on 
that  much  hunted  ground.  The  emaciated  squaws 
soothed  the  poor  infants  who,  on  the  whole,  bore  the 
cravings  of  hunger  with  a  grave  endurance  worthy  of 
little  "  braves,"  and  the  children  would  even  forget 
their  misery  for  a  little  in  their  favorite  game  of 
"  hide  and  seek,"  or  catching  balls  made  of  pine 
twigs,  on  crooked  sticks.  The  good  Father's  heart 
was  sore  and  full  of  compassion  for  the  hungry  band, 
and  as  he  repeated  his  pater  uoster,  he  put  even  a 
warmer  fervor  than  usual  into  the  petition,  "  Give 
us  this  day  our  daily  bread."  He  would  fain  have 
persuaded  them  to  join  him  in  the  prayer,  but  his 
knowledge  of  their  language  was  still  very  imperfect, 
and  Pierre,  his  only  interpreter,  had  become,  as  it 
seemed  to  him,  "possessed  by  a  dumb  spirit."  At 
least,  however,  he  could  pray  for  them  to  Him  to 
whom  all  human  needs  may  be  freely  brought ;  and 
having  thus  somewhat  eased  his  mind,  he  made  his 
Christmas  dinner  of  the  buds  of  trees  and  some  strips 
of  deerskin,  such  as  the  Indians  use  for  the  ties  of 
their  snowshoes,  which  had  been  thrown  to  the  hun- 
gry dogs.  And  instead  of  complaining,  he  ate  it  with 
a  thankful  heart,  and  pronounced  it  "good." 

No  more  dinner  or  supper  was  he  destined  to  get 
on  that  Christmas  day.     In  the  evening  he  visited 


get 
Isited 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  PERE  LE  JEUNE.      11$ 

the  neighboring  **  cabane,''  and  found  the  prospect 
as  gloomy  as  in  his  own.  Two  young  hunters,  who 
had  returned  from  the  chase  empty  handed,  were  sit- 
ting in  silent  dejection,  brooding  over  the  imminent 
prospect  of  starvation.  The  tender-hearted  Father 
was  deeply  touched  by  their  despair.  He  offered 
such  comfort  and  hope  as  he  could  express  in  their 
language,  and  went  back  to  his  own  hut  to  pray. 

There  Pierre  asked  him  what  day  it  was. 

"To-day  is  the  festival  of  Christmas,"  replied  P^re 
Le  Jeune. 

Pierre,  who  had  never  quite  lost  the  influence  of 
his  Christian  teaching,  seemed  moved,  and  explained 
to  his  brother,  the  Sorcerer,  that  it  was  "  the  day  on 
which  was  born  the  Son  of  God,  called  Jesus." 

Remarking  the  Indian's  surprise,  P^re  Le  Jeune 
took  the  opportunity  to  speak  of  the  goodness  of 
God  and  his  willingness  to  succor  those  who  go  to 
him  in  their  need.  For  once  in  a  long  time,  Pierre 
offered  no  taunt  or  contradiction.  Seizing  the  pro- 
pitious moment,  P^re  Le  Jeune  asked  his  capricious 
interpreter  to  translate  for  him  two  short  prayers 
to  be  said  by  and  for  the  Indians.  Pierre  seemed 
ready  to  seize  on  any  hope  of  relief,  and  he  forth- 
with translated  the  prayers  which  the  Father  com- 
posed, and  promised  to  act  as  his  interpreter  on  the 
morrow. 

Next  morning,  full  of  renewed  hope,  P6re  Le  Jeune 
set  to  work  to  prepare,  with  such  materials  as  he  had 
at  hand,  a  little  oratory  in  the  wigwam,  after  the 
fashion  to  which  he  had  been  accustomed  and  which 
he  thought  would  most  impress  the  savages.  Then 
he  called  the  little  company  together  and  addressed 


I 


; 


It 


nr^ 


I  i:  ; 


Ii6       THE   ADyENTURES  OE  PERE  LE  JEUNE, 


\\  > 


f  < 


i 


Ai 


1    I 


them  as  best  he  could  in  their  own  tongue,  helped 
out  by  Pierre,  to  whose  interpreting  he  did  not  care 
to  trust  entirely.  Under  these  difficulties,  he  told 
his  hearers  that  their  extremity  made  him  speak  ;  that 
it  would  be  their  own  fault  if  they  were  not  succored  ; 
that  God  is  goodness  itself ;  that  nothing  is  impos- 
sible to  him  ;  that  even  though  they  had  despised 
him,  yet  if  they  would  now  believe  and  trust  in  him 
with  true  hearts,  he  would  show  them  his  mercy 
still.  The  starving  men  and  women,  despairing  of 
human  help,  showed  great  gladness  at  his  words,  and 
promised  to  follow  his  direction  ;  whereupon  he  pro- 
duced the  manuscript  of  his  translated  prayers,  and 
asked  them  first  reverently  to  join  in  his  prayer  for 
them.     It  was  as  follows  : 

"  My  Lord,  who  hast  made  all,  who  seest  all,  and 
who  knowest  all,  have  mercy  upon  us.  Oh,  Jesus, 
Son  of  the  Almighty,  who  hast  taken  human  flesh 
for  us,  who  art  born  for  us  of  a  virgin,  who  hast  died 
for  us,  who  hast  promised  that  if  we  ask  anything  in 
Thy  name.  Thou  wilt  do  it  —  I  pray  Thee  with  all 
my  heart  to  give  food  to  this  poor  people,  who  will 
believe  in  Thee  and  who  will  obey  Thee  ;  this  people 
promises  Thee  faithfully  that  they  will  trust  Thee 
entirely  and  will  obey  Thee  with  all  their  heart.  My 
Lord,  hear  my  prayer ;  I  present  Thee  my  life  for 
this  people,  most  willing  to  die  that  they  may  live, 
and  that  they  may  know  Thee.     Amen." 

As  Pere  Le  Jeune  pronounced  the  last  sentence, 
his  host  stopped  him  with  the  words,  "  Take  that 
back,  for  we  all  love  thee,  and  desire  not  that  thou 
should'st  die." 

"  I  want  to  show  you,"  replied  the  Father,  "that  I 


THE   ADVKNTUKES  OF  PEKE  LE  JEUNE.       u; 


:h  all 
will 

leoplc 

iThec 
My 

le  for 
live, 

lence, 
that 
thou 

Ihat  I 


love  you,  and  that  I  would  willingly  give  my  life  for 
your  salvation  ;  so  great  a  thing  is  it  to  be  saved  ! " 

Then  joining  their  hands  and  again  raising  thcni 
toward  Heaven,  the  Indians  repeated  after  him  the 
second  prayer,  in  which  they  solemnly  vowed  that  il 
God  would  give  them  food  in  their  extremity,  they 
would  obey  and  serve,  for  evermore.  Him  who  has 
given  his  life  for  them. 

After  this  prayer,  in  which  even  the  •*  Apostate  " 
and  the  "  Sorcerer"  appeared  to  join,  P^re  Le  Jeune 
bade  them  now  go  forth  to  the  chase  with  confident 
hope,  which  they  immediately  did  with  eager  alacrity 
and  brightened  faces. 

The  good  Father's  faith  was  rewarded.  Several 
beaver  were  very  soon  secured  from  a  beaver-dam 
which  had  previously  been  abandoned  in  despair  and 
Pere  Le  Jeune  himself  witnessed  the  capture  of  one 
with  his  own  eyes,  when  later  in  the  day  he  went  to 
see  how  they  sped.  The  "Sorcerer"  was  fortunate 
enough  to  take  a  porcupine.  Even  a  moose,  an  unex- 
pected capture  in  so  slight  a  depth  of  snow,  was 
brought  in  triumph  to  the  camp.  When  the  hunters 
brought  in  their  game,  the  glad-hearted  P^re  Le 
Jeune  awaited  his  host  with  outstretched  hand,  and 
rejoiced  to  hear  him  acknowledge  the  help  of  God, 
and  ask  what  they  must  now  do. 

" Nicanis''  (my  beloved ),  he  replied,  "  we  must 
thank  God  who  has  helped  us." 

**  And  wherefore  indeed  ?"  exclaimed  the  incorri- 
gible Pierre.  "  We  should  have  found  this  well 
enough  without  his  help  !  " 

No  wonder  that  Pere  Le  Jeune  felt  this  profane 
speech  like  a  poniard-stroke.     He  feared  it  would 


Ii8      THE  ADVENTURES  OF  PERE  LE  JEUNB, 


\\\ 


li 


t^-h 


undo  all  his  labor.  However,  his  host  still  desired  to 
do  his  duty,  and  Pdre  Le  Jeune  was  ready  when  the 
feast  was  prepared  to  f/Ter  thanks  duly  in  the  name 
of  ail  for  the  good  gifts  God  '  had  sent  them.  But 
the  renegade  Pierre,  angry  at  having  himself  caught 
nothing,  rudely  interrupted  the  good  Father  and  com- 
manded him  to  be  silent. 

"  I  will  not,"  replied  P^re  Le  Jeune.  "  If  you  are 
ungrateful,  the  others  are  not,' 

Pierre's  interruption  would  not  have  mattered  much, 
but  his  brother  the  "Sorcerer,"  now  freed  from  his 
dread  of  perishing  and  jealous  for  his  own  influence, 
forgetful  of  all  his  recent  vows,  insolently  exclaimed  : 

"  Be  quiet !  Thou  art  a  fool !  This  is  not  the  time 
to  talk,  but  to  eat !  " 

The  grieved  Father  asked  him  if  he  had  no  eyes  ; 
if  he  could  not  see  the  good  hand  of  God.  But  he 
would  hear  nothing,  and  the  others,  too  submissive 
to  his  opposition,  did  not  dare  to  speak.  So  the  feast 
was  distributed  without  any  thanksgiving,  and,  like 
ravenous  animals,  the  savages  began  their  meal. 

It  was  a  bitter  disappointment  tc  P^re  Le  Jeune. 
"  They  are  filled  with  contentment,  I  with  sad- 
ness," he  wrote.  Yet  with  Christian  resignation 
and  patience  he  added:  "We  must  leave  it  to  the 
will  of  God.     This  people's  time  is  not  yet  come!" 

Such  was  P^re  Le  Jeune's  life  among  these  miser- 
able savages  during  that  dreary  winter.  Again  and 
again  starvation  stared  them  in  the  face  ;  for  the  un- 
certainties of  their  wandering  life  made  existence  so 
precarious  that  it  frequently  became,  in  their  eyes,  a 
necessity  to  kill  their  aged  and  helpless  relatives, 
whom  it  was  so  difficult  to  transport  and  to  feed* 


THE  ADVENTURES  OF  PERE  LE  JEUNE.      119 


With  joy  P^re  Le  Jeune  saw  the  days  lengthening 
and  felt  the  softness  of  the  air  that  heralded  the  com- 
ing spring.  Early  in  April,  after  five  months  of  this 
wild  roaming  life  in  the  wilderness,  the  whole  party  ar- 
rived at  the  shore  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  reached 
the  island  where  they  had  left  their  canoes.  P^re  Le 
Jeune  was  by  this  time  ill  from  exhaustion,  but  his 
host  Mestigoit  took  him  in  his  own  canoe  to  Quebec. 
It  was  midnight  when  they  left  the  island  of  Orleans 
on  their  last  stage  by  moonlight,  and  they  had  to  make 
their  way  to  land  among  cakes  of  floating  ice,  at  the 
risk  of  their  lives.  At  last,  with  the  help  of  his  In- 
dian friend  Mestigoit,  the  good  Father  was  safely 
landed  on  the  ice,  and  gladly  made  his  way  to  the 
Mission  House,  which  he  reached  about  three  in  the 
morning.  He  received  a  m.ost  joyful  welcome  from 
the  brethren  who  had  been  feeling  great  anxiety  for 
his  welfare,  and  Notre  Dame  des  Anges  seemed  to  the 
weary  wayfarer  "full  of  peace  and  benediction." 
Champlain,  who  was  then  living,  speedily  testified  his 
affection  for  the  good  Father  by  sending  to  inquire 
for  his  health. 

P^re  Le  Jeune  did  not  again  try  the  experiment  of 
wintering  among  these  roving  Indians.  He  saw  that 
but  little  was  to  be  gained  in  this  way,  and  that  the 
only  means  of  Christianizing  these  low  and  scattered 
savages,  would  be  to  establish  schools  for  the  educa- 
tion of  their  children.  He  attained  some  success  in 
this  work,  with  the  aid  of  certain  noble  Christian 
women,  who  left  their  homes  and  convents  in  France 
for  the  sake  of  uplifting  these  poor  Indians.  In  the 
little  old  church  of  Notre  Dame  dcs  Recouvrances,  still 
standing  in  Quebec  as  a  memorial  of  those  days  of  peril 


f'rfr 


tr  -■- 


120      r//E  ADVENTURES  OF  PERE  LE  JEUNE. 

and  deliverance,  Champlain's  successor,  Montmagny, 
with  his  suite,  would  sometimes  be  present  to  hear 
P6re  Le  Jeune's  Indian  children  repeat  the  Creed  and 
Catechism  and  receive  the  rewards  that  delighted  their 
parents  no  less  than  themselves.  But  the  Mission 
of  which  he  was  the  director,  was  in  the  meantime 
extending  its  labors  and  expending  its  main  strength 
hundreds  of  miles  away  to  the  southward. 


I,- 


Mn 


CHAPTER   IX. 


THE    MARTYRS   OF    THE    HURON    MISSION. 


THE  same  Christian  devotion  which  sent  P6re 
Le  Jeune  to  share  the  privations  of  the  In- 
dians' wandering  winter  life,  inspired  with  equal  hero- 
ism the  other  laborers  of  the  Canadian  Mission. 
Many  hearts  in  France  had  been  stirred  with  pro- 
found pity  for  the  misery  and  degradation  of  the  In- 
dians as  described  in  the  "  Relations  "  or  letters  sent 
home  by  P^re  Le  Jeune  and  the  other  pioneers  of  the 
Mission.  The  dangers  to  be  dared  only  kindled  a 
warmer  zeal  in  those  who  aspired  even  to  the  crown 
of  martyrdom,  and  for  whom  death  had  no  terrors. 

The  new  order  of  the  Jesuits  was  still  foremost  in 
its  zeal  and  sent  forth  one  devoted  laborer  after  an- 
other, ready  to  dare  all  the  perils  and  sufferings  of 
the  wilderness.  Not  only  strong  men  trained  by 
stern  discipline  to  courage  and  endurance,  but  deli- 
cate ladies  of  gentle  birth  and  nature,  as  well  as 
humble  religienses,  were  ready  to  face  any  danger  for 
the  great  end  of  saving  these  miserable  souls. 
Madame  de  la  Peltrie  and  Marie  de  I'lncarnation 
were  leaders  of  the  band  of  religieuses  who  came  to 
establish  hospitals  for  the  sick  and  schools  for  the 
little  Indian  children.  Knights  and  noble  ladies,  as 
well  as  rich  merchants  and  tradesmen,  gave  liberal 
donations  to  support  the  work.     But  the  Mission  to 

lai 


122      THE  MARTYRS  OF   THE  HURON  MISSION. 


the  Hurons,  in  the  southwest  extremity  of  Canada, 
was  the  great  undertaking  and  the  main  center  of  in- 
terest. Its  history  is  as  full  of  adventure,  heroism 
and  tragedy  as  any  that  has  come  down  to  us  from 
*'  the  brave  days  of  old." 

The  names  of  the  Christian  heroes  who  then  threw 
their  hearts  and  lives  into  the  work  of  carrying  light 
into  the  gross  darkness  of  a  fierce  savage  life,  de- 
serve to  be  remembered  long  and  kindly  in  Canadian 
history.  Br^beuf,  Garnier,  Chaumonot,  Jogues, 
Lallemant,  Daniel,  Davost,  Chabanel,  Le  Mercier, 
Chatellain,  Pijart,  Ragueneau,  Du  Peron,  Poncet, 
Le  Moyne,  Druilletes,  are  all  names  that  rank  high 
among  the  missionary  martyrs  of  the  world. 

Jean  de  Brebeuf,  the  lion-hearted  leader  of  the 
Huron  Mission,  came  of  a  noble  stock — said  to  be 
the  same  with  that  of  the  English  Arundels  —  and 
was  cast,  physically  and  mentally,  in  a  heroic  mould. 
Tall,  strongly  built  and  strong-willed,  he  was  also 
daring,  ardent  and  enthusiastic,  as  well  as  prudent 
and  full  of  resource.  More  than  once  his  fearless 
firmness  turned  aside  the  rage  and  prejudice  of  the 
Hurons  and  saved  the  lives  of  the  missionaries. 
Jogues,  Garnier  and  Lallemant  were  of  a  more  deli- 
cate and  gentle  type,  but  their  faith  made  their 
spirits  strong  to  endure  heroically  suffering  and 
death.  Chaumonot  was  of  humble  origin,  but  had 
been  sent  to  be  educated  by  an  uncle  who  was  a 
priest,  from,  whom  he  had  run  away  in  order  to  learn 
music.  After  a  few  years  of  a  wild,  roving  life,  he 
was  rescued  from  ruin  by  a  young  Christian  physi- 
cian, and,  in  his  deep  penitence,  he  became  a  Jesuit 
and  devoted  himself  to  the  Canadian  Mission.     Cha- 


1 


THE  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION.      123 


banel  was  a  fastidious  student,  and  the  discomforts 
which  beset  him  in  his  life  among  the  Indians  were 
a  severe  trial  to  him.  As  he  was  haunted  by  a  de- 
sire to  return  to  France,  he  bound  himself  by  a  vow 
to  remain  in  the  Canadian  Mission  till  the  day  of  his 
death.  All  were  animated  by  the  same  spirit,  and 
no  braver  band  of  heroes  has  ever  been  celebrated 
in  song  or  story. 

In  the  summer  before  P^re  Le  Jeune  set  out  on 
his  dreary  winter  wanderings,  three  of  the  band  — 
Br^beuf,  Daniel  and  Davost,  were  all  ready  to  go 
back  with  the  returning  canoes  of  the  Huron  traders. 
But  as  has  been  already  told,  an  unexpected  difficulty 
with  the  Indians  prevented  their  setting  out.  The 
next  summer  the  Hurons  were  'few  in  number,  and 
depressed  by  losses  by  war  and  pestilence.  With 
much  difficulty  they  were  persuaded  to  take  with 
them  the  three  missionaries,  who  set  out  on  their 
toilsome  journey  of  nearly  a  thousand  miles  amid 
affectionate  farewells  and  a  salute  from  the  French 
fleet. 

The  journey,  summer  though  it  was,  proved  no 
holiday  trip.  The  missionaries,  like  the  Hurons, 
had  to  crouch  barefoot  in  the  canoes  beside  the 
Indians  who  took  them  as  passengers,  and  help  as 
they  best  could  to  paddle  the  frail  barks.  The 
canoes  in  which  they  embarked  were  soon  far  apart, 
and  each  saw  about  him  only  the  dusky,  long-haired 
and  taciturn  savages,  who  were  all  depressed  and 
despondent.  Br^beuf  alone  knew  enough  Huron  to 
exchange  a  few  words  with  his  boatman.  The  only 
food  to  be  had  was  maize,  crushed  between  two 
stones  and  mixed  with  water. 


ill 


124      THE  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION. 


J 


As  it  was  impossible  to  paddle  up  the  rapids  of 
the  Ottawa,  it  was  necessary  to  carry  the  canoes  and 
baggage  through  the  tangled  forest  for  long  dis- 
tances; and  of  these  portages  Biebeuf  counted  thirty- 
five.  Often  too  ^hey  had  to  stem  the  strong  current 
by  wading  r..ong,  dragging  or  pushing  up  their  empty 
canoes.  Brebeuf  tried  to  do  his  share;  but  the 
sharp  stones  cut  his  feet  so  severely  that  even  he 
nearly  gave  out  unc!  t  the  unused  toil.  They  had 
no  time  to  reai-  L:je\;  breviaries  except  at  night  by 
the  summer  mooii^  gii.^  .r  the  blaze  of  the  camp-fire. 
Davost  farcH  worst  his  bcv^t  ^v\^^  robbing  him  of  much 
of  his  baggage,  throw  ""g  w.  ;v»to  the  river,  includ- 
ing the  books  and  writing  tuaLCiials  of  the  party, 
and  then  leaving  him  at  Allumette  Island,  on  the 
Ottawa,  from  whence  he  at  last  made  his  way  to 
the  country  of  the  Hurons.  Daniel  was  deserted  by 
his  boatman  also,  but  finally  found  another  willing 
to  take  him  in  ;  their  two  young  French  attendants 
fared  little  better. 

At  last,  after  a  canoe-journey  of  thirty  days  from 
Three  Rivers,  Brebeuf  landed  once  more  on  the 
shore  of  the  Georgian  Bay  of  Lake  Huron.  As  they 
landed  his  Indian  companions  threw  his  luggage  on 
the  ground,  and  without  heeding  his  remonstrances, 
darted  off  to  their  villages,  some  twenty  miles  dis- 
tant. Brebeuf,  nevertheless,  did  not  forget  to  kneel 
in  grateful  thanksgiving  for  having  been  safely 
brought  to  his  journey's  end.  Then,  leaving  his 
luggage  on  shore,  he  went  to  look  for  the  villages  in 
which  he  had  formerly  preached,  near  Thunder 
Bay,  where  he  had  landed.  He  found  that  one  he 
knew  best  had  been  deserted  and  burned,  after  its 


THE  MARTYRS  OF   THE  HURON  MISSION.      125 


inhabitants  had  murdered  Etienne  Brule,  Cham- 
plain's  interpreter.  Walking  on  farther,  he  reached 
the  bark  lodges  of  Ihonatiria,  where  the  people  came 
out  to  meet  him  with  the  joyous  cry,  "  Echom  has 
come  again ! "  Several  of  the  young  men  went  to 
help  him  to  bring  his  luggage,  and  he  was  hospitably 
entertained  in  the  large  lodge  of  the  chief  man  of 
the  village,  anxiously  a*vaiting  the  arrival  of  his  com- 
rades. At  last,  one  by  one,  weary  and  exhausted, 
the  four  Frenchmen  found  their  way  to  Ihonatiria, 
where  the  reunited  band  prepared  to  organize  their 
Mission. 

They  decided  to  remain  where  they  were,  for  the 
present,  and  the  Indians  turned  out  to  help  them 
put  up  the  Mission  House.  It  was  built,  like  the 
Indian  lodges,  of  poles  and  birch  bark,  thirty-six 
feet  by  twenty  in  size.  It  was  divided  into  three 
apartments,  two  for  the  missionaries'  domestic  needs, 
and  one  fitted  up  as  a  chapel.  Their  beds  were 
skins  laid  on  the  ground,  and  their  furniture  con- 
sisted of  stools  made  by  themselves,  a  mortar,  a 
hand-mill  and  a  clock,  which  last  was  a  source  of 
great  wonder  to  the  Indians.  As  the  Fathers  wished 
to  be  sometimes  left  alone,  they  taught  the  Indians 
that  when  the  clock  struck  twelve  times,  it  said, 
"  Hang  on  the  kettle,"  and  then  the  Indians  were 
always  welcome  to  share  their  frugal  meal,  but  that 
when  it  struck  four  times,  it  said,  "  Get  up  and  go 
home."  After  that  time  the  Mission  House  was 
closed,  and  the  missionaries  spent  the  rest  of  the 
day  in  consultation  and  in  carefully  studying  the 
Huron  language. 

They  took  everv  means  of  showing  their  friendli- 


lif'' ' 


126      T//£  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION. 


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ness  to  the  Indians,  and  advised  them  how  to  defend 
themselves  from  the  crafty  Iroquois.  They  taught 
all  as  they  had  an  opportunity,  and  collected  the 
children  for  regular  lessons,  when  Pere  Brebeuf  wore 
his  cap  and  surplice,  to  make  the  occasion  more  im- 
pressive. The  Indians  made  no  opposition,  saying 
that  it  was  a  very  good  religion  for  the  French,  but 
they  were  not  willing  to  accept  it  themselves  and 
receive  baptism.  The  Fathers,  however,  seized 
every  opportunity  of  baptizing  dying  infants,  believ- 
ing that  thus  they  insured  their  salvation. 

The  savages  had  strange  feasts  and  rites  of  their 
own,  conducted  by  their  "medicine-men,"  and  the 
Fathers  had  to  look  on  and  listen  to  superstitious 
orgies  which  they  could  not  prevent.  The  childish 
superstition  of  the  Indians  sometimes  threatened  the 
destruction  of  the  sacred  symbols  of  the  Christian 
faith,  but  the  missionaries  themselves  soon  won  their 
love  and  reverence,  and  chiefs  of  distant  villages 
would  come  to  beg  them  to  take  up  their  abode  with 
them. 

Two  more  missionaries,  Pijart  and  Mercier,  arrived 
in  1635.  Next  year  came  Jogues,  Gamier  and  Cha- 
tellain,  who  crossed  on  the  way  Daniel  and  Davost, 
going  down  to  Quebec  to  carry  out  a  long-cherished 
project  of  founding  there  a  seminary  for  the  Huron 
children. 

A  contagious  fever  prostrated  the  new-comers, 
and  scarcely  had  they  recovered  when  a  protracted 
season  of  trial  began.  The  pestilence  which  had 
formerly  made  such  ravages  among  the  Indians  now 
broke  out  afresh,  and  with  it  came  the  new  plague 
of  small-pox.     This  terrible  disease  continued  un- 


THE  MARTYRS  OF   THE  HURON  MISSION.      127 


abated  during  the  autumn  and  winter,  carrying  off 
numbers  of  men,  women  and  children.  The  good 
Fathers  were  untiring  in  their  devotion,  ministering 
to  the  sick  as  well  as  their  limited  resources  would 
permit,  baptizing  the  dying  when  they  could,  and 
trying  to  relieve  the  general  dejection  and  the  de- 
spair of  the  sufferers  by  the  hope  of  a  better  life 
beyond  the  grave. 

The  people  of  a  neighboring  village,  after  vain 
attempts  by  the  rites  of  the  "medicine-men"  to  drive 
away  the  evil  spirits  which  they  supposed  to  cause 
the  disease,  at  last  called  the  Jesuits  to  come  and 
tell  the  terror-stricken  people  what  they  must  do 
that  God  might  take  pity  on  them.  Br^beuf  briefly 
replied  that  they  must  believe  in  God  and  keep  his 
commandments,  giving  up  all  wicked  and  supersti- 
tious customs,  and  vow  that,  if  God  would  deliver 
them,  they  would  build  a  chapel  for  thanksgiving 
and  praise. 

Suffering  and  despairing  as  they  were,  most  of 
the  savages  would  not  pledge  themselves  to  such  a 
change  as  this.  The  men  of  a  village  called  Ossos- 
san6,  agreed,  however,  to  even  these  terms,  and  pro- 
claimed by  the  voice  of  one  of  their  chief  sorcerers, 
that  the  God  of  the  French  was  their  God,  and  that 
all  must  live  according  to  his  will. 

The  joy  felt  by  the  Fathers  at  this  profession  was 
soon  damped  by  the  arrival  of  a  noted  sorcerer, 
who  quickly  established  the  power  of  his  super- 
stitious rites  over  the  ignorant  savages.  A  new 
mission  station  was,  however,  founded  at  this  vil- 
lage, called  by  the  French  Rochelle,  beside  a  fort 
which  had  been  built  there.     The  people  willingly 


r^ 


128      THE  MAKTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION. 


ill 


Mi 


V-  \ 


V'-'     ' 

\-                        ; 

V. 

% 

iL]: 

built  a  spacious  abode  for  the  missionaries,  in  which 
the  Fathers  settled  down  in  such  comfort  as  was 
possible  in  the  always  smoky  wigwam.  Their 
arrangements  were  simple  enough.  Each  had  his 
wooden  platter  on  which  he  ate  the  "sagamite"  or 
"mush"  of  Indian  corn  boiled  with  scraps  of  fish 
and  cooked  in  their  gypsy  kettle  slung  over  the  fire, 
varied  occasionally  by  a  pumpkin  or  squash.  At 
certain  hours  they  admitted  the  Indians  to  sit  and 
smoke  by  their  fire,  teaching  them  when  they  could 
induce  them  to  listen.  The  rest  of  their  time  was 
occupied  by  study  and  devotion.  Half  of  their  house 
was  fitted  up  as  a  chapel,  with  such  pictures  and 
decorations  as  they  had  managed  to  carry  even  into 
this  wilderness.  ThesCi  greatly  impressed  the  In^ 
dians,  and  the  report  of  their  beauty  drew  crowds 
from  distant  villages  to  see  for  themselves.  And 
here,  with  all  due  ceremony  and  thanksgiving,  was  bap- 
tized the  first  Huron  convert  to  the  Christian  faith. 

But  even  while  the  missionaries  were  rejoicing 
over  the  first  fruits  of  their  labors,  a  new  trouble 
arose.  A  rumor  spread  through  the  Huron  country 
that  these  strange  black-robed  pale-faces  were  magi- 
cians, who  had  bewitched  the  nation  and  caused  the 
fatal  plague.  Everything  about  the  mission  houses 
was  supposed  to  have  a  malign  influence,  and  the 
Jesuits  even  had  to  stop  their  clock,  which  was  sup- 
posed to  be  a  signal  of  death.  The  chanted  litanies 
were  supposed  to  be  magical  incantations.  Suspicion 
and  hatred  took  the  place  of  friendliness  and  affec- 
tion, though  the  missionaries  were  protected  from 
violence  by  the  feeling  of  awe  with  which  they  in- 
spired the   Indians.     They  continued  indefatigable 


THE  AfAA'TVA^s  OF  THE  mr..r.. 

dying.  P"'-^  '°  'he  beds  of  the  sick  and 

At  last  a  great  council  was  call^rl  .  ,.  ■ 
Jesuits  were  formally  char  JHlvfu  ^'  "^^'"^  '^e 
fnghtful  malady,  pie  B^u  *'"'  ''^^'"^  ""sed  the 
^'nd  exhorted  the  asser^hW  ,  [  '"''P^'''^''  "^^  charge 
-th  little  effect  neLeVofi^  '™^  ''''''  "« 
threatened,  their  houses  set T„  f  ■'""''*   ""e 

j-^inent.  I„  this  eTcg  „",,;?"' '^^''' ^^^•"-' 
feast,  as  was  customary  for  thn  ^u^'""  ^  '""^<=" 
Brebeuf  made  an  impreTsive  orttLV^-  '"  t'^'  -'' 
boldness  won   the  savno-^.'  His  undaunted 

'ide  of  feeling  so  as  TJe  h?r"  ^""^  ^^^^^^  "^e 
aries,  though  Tt  did  not  s'od  th.  ''  "'  '"'  """'■°"- 
they  were  still  subjected    '^        Persecution  to  which 

and  exhausting  joJrn^~: ^f  f  K^""  ^ '^^ 
brought  from  Quebec  to  builrf  !  !  ''°''<^''''  »"^re 
in  the  cold  winter  days  fire,  ?""""  ^''^P'^''  '^here 
it  a  comfortable  retrelt  fo  h  T,''"™'"Sn'ade 
Notwithstanding  all  the  diffi.  "  ^  ^"''''''  ^"^'''"»- 
-ntsthat  the  missi  r,t  ?/""  "-"""^e- 
was  now  a  little  band  of  Z^tl  ^"~"«ered,  there 

-ass  on  Sundays,  often  fr^rratdilta"'''  """^  '" 
were  obliged  to  renounce  all  ^uperst ,'  ^'':  ^"^^^ 
conform  to  the  rules  of  Christ  an  '  "'^'  ='"'' 

treated  by  the  missionanes  w  r^'"'  ','^'  """  "^^^ 
"ess  and  patience  that  thev  Thl  "^'««"tleness,  kind- 
The  Hurons  did  not  laitr,,  '° "' "-^  ^^^^8^^- 
'a-ess  and  sensualitVree":;>Tr ',''.«  Pride. 

way  of  their  conversion  and%Crco:ft::;^^^'"'''« 


III? 


i'i 


^n 


f'-M 


i": 


130     r//£  MAHrVA'S  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION, 

The  original  Mission  of  St.  Joseph,  as  it  was 
called,  had  been  removed  from  Ihonatiria,  desolated 
by  the  pestilence,  to  a  larger  village  near  the  south 
ern  boundary.  But  in  1639  the  whole  mission  force 
was  collected  at  the  strong  central  mission  station 
called  Sainte  Marie,  situated  on  the  River  Wye  near 
its  outflow  into  Lake  Huron.  Here  the  Jesuits  had 
their  residence,  school,  convent,  hospital  and  fort, 
and  from  this  center  they  could  make  their  mission- 
ary tours  to  remoter  regions.  They  had  given  the 
names  of  Saints  to  the  Huron  towns,  which  were  di 
vided  into  four  districts,  with  the  Tobacco  Nation  for 
a  fifth,  each  district  being  put  under  the  charge  of 
two  or  more  of  the  missionaries.  The  fierce  Tobacco 
Nation  lived  two  days*  journey  from  the  Hurons, 
among  the  hills  at  the  head  of  Nottawasaga  Bay. 
Thither  in  mid-winter  went  Jogues  and  Gamier  to 
visit  their  wretched  little  villages.  But  the  evil  re- 
port of  sorcery  had  gone  before  them  and  they  were 
met  with  scorn,  threats  and  abuse,  narrowly  escaping 
in  the  darkness  from  the  hatchets  of  the  young 
"braves." 

Undaunted  by  this  experiment,  P^re  Br6beuf  set 
out  the  next  November,  accompanied  by  Chaumonot, 
on  a  still  more  perilous  undertaking  —  a  mission  to 
the  Neutral  Nation.  These  Indians  lived  to  the 
north  of  Lake  Erie,  extending  to  the  American  side 
of  the  Niagara  River ;  and  in  size,  ferocity  and  super- 
stition were  pre-eminent  among  the  North  American 
savages.  The  two  missionaries,  after  five  days'  weary 
wandering  through  the  forest,  visited  nineteen  of 
their  towns  and  villages,  encountering  hatred  and 
persecution,  which  had  been  instigated  by  some  of 


?iV. 


THE  MARTYRS  OF   THE  HURON  MISSION.      131 


J  it  was 

Aesolated 

[^e  south 

iion  force 

)n  station 

\^ye  near 

esuits  bad 
and  fort, 

ir  mission- 
given  the 

ch  were  di 
Nation  for 

i  charge  of 

rce  Tobacco 

be  Hurons, 

Arasaga  Bay. 

1  Gamier  to 

X  the  evil  re- 

id  they  were 

-w\y  escaping 

f  the  young 

Br6beuf  set 
,  Chaumonot, 
a  mission  to 
lived  to  the 
American  side 
bity  and  super- 
trth  American 
;re  days'  weary 
I  nineteen   of 
>g  hatred  and 
Id  by  some  of 


the  Hurons,  who  were  themselves  restrained  from 
violence  only  by  fear  of  the  French.  But  an  unseen 
hand  seemed  to  protect  the  devoted  Fathers  when, 
time  after  time,  they  were  about  to  fall  victims  to  the 
ignorant  enmity  of  the  fierce  savages. 

Br^beuf,  being  supposed  to  be  the  chief  "  sorcerer," 
was  the  chief  object  of  hatred.  As  he  went  on  his 
way,  half-perishing  with  cold  and  starvation,  he 
seemed  to  see  in  a  vision  a  great  cross  —  the  omen 
of  martyrdom  —  slowly  advancing  through  the  air 
from  the  eastward  wilderness,  where  dwelt  the 
dreaded  and  relentless  Iroquois.  But  one  gleam  of 
human  kindness  lighted  up  the  dreary  pilgrimage, 
and  that  came  from  a  woman.  A  kindly  squaw  took 
the  starving  pilgrims  into  her  lodge,  and  persuaded 
her  relatives  to  stand  by  them,  t  tertaining  them 
hospitably  for  a  fortnight,  and  helping  them  to  form 
a  vocabulary  of  the  Huron  tongue.  They  did  all 
that  man  could  do  to  carry  light  to  the  fierce  tribe, 
and  the  snows  were  melting  away  under  the  spring 
sun  before  they  found  their  way  back  at  last  to  their 
brethren  at  Sainte  Marie, 

In  the  following  summer  [1640],  the  indefatigable 
Isaac  Jogues  made  his  way  with  Charles  Raymbaut 
to  Lake  Superior  and  the  Sault  Sainte  Marie,  preach- 
ing to  two  thousand  Ojibways  and  other  Algonquins. 
In  the  next  year  he  went  with  some  Huron  canoes  down 
to  Quebec  and  Three  Rivers,  to  get  a  supply  of  arti- 
cles needed  at  the  Mission.  He  was  returning  with 
two  young  lay  brothers,  named  Goupil  and  Couture, 
when,  amid  the  islands  of  Lake  St.  Peter,  the  war 
whoop  of  the  Iroquois  suddenly  rose  out  of  the  rushes 
that  fringed  the  wooded  shore,  and  immediately  the 


U:^ 


132      T//£  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION, 


hostile  canoes  closed  round  them.  The  Frenchmen 
and  the  Christian  Hurons  attempted  resistance,  but 
were  soon  overpowered.  Goiipil  was  seized  by  the 
yelling  assailants,  and  Jogues  and  Couture,  who  might 
have  escaped,  would  not  desert  their  comrade.  They 
were  carried  off  with  the  other  captives,  and  treated 
with  all  the  cruel  ferocity  usual  in  Indian  warfare, 
while  they  were  dragged,  along  with  their  captors,  to 
the  River  Richelieu  and  Lake  Champlain. 

Bleeding,  bruised  and  exhausted,  Isaac  Jogues  and 
his  companions  were  the  first  white  men  to  behold 
the  picturesque  beauty  of  Lake  George,  which  might 
have  been  more  fitly  called  Lake  Jogues.  Moving 
on,  the  savage  troop  crossed  the  Hudson  to  their 
home,  a  palisaded  Mohawk  town.  There  still  more 
frightful  sufferings  awaited  the  exhausted  captives. 
Couture,  after  being  fiendishly  tortured,  was  adopted 
into  an  I,  oquois  family  in  place  of  a  dead  relative ; 
but  Goupil,  who  had  been  teaching  the  children 
to  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  was  supposed  to 
be  bewitching  them,  and  was  tomahawked  by  two 
young  Indians  while  walking  with  Jogues  in  the 
forest.  The  latter  mourned  bitterly  for  his  friend, 
and  would  have  buried  him  with  his  own  mutilated 
hands,  but  was  deprived  of  even  this  consolation.  He 
would  have  welcomed  the  death  he  hourly  expected, 
but  it  came  not. 

He  was  taken  by  a  party  of  Iroquois  on  their 
yearly  hunting  expedition,  and  treated  by  them  as  a 
slave,  performing  menial  tasks,  and  suffering  from  cold 
and  hunger.  For  as  they  had  devoted  all  the  game 
taken  in  hunting  to  one  of  their  heathen  deities,  and 
ate  it  in  his  honor,  Jogues  refused  to  touch  il.     At 


THE  MAKTRYS   OF   THE   HURON  MISSION.      133 


one  point  alone  his  submission  ceased.  When  the 
savages  sneered  at  his  faith  or  his  God,  the  solitary 
prisoner,  like  another  Paul,  would  sternly  rebuke  his 
masters.  Having  no  quiet  in  the  hunters'  wigwam, 
he  made  an  oratory  for  himself  in  the  forest.  Cut- 
ting the  bark  off  a  great  tree  in  the  form  of  a  cross, 
he  retreated  thither  to  kneel  at  prayer  in  the  snow ; 
with  the  solemn  pines  around  him,  as  true  a  sanctuary 
as  any  vaulted  cathedral ;  and  the  God  to  whom  he 
prayed  strengthened  and  upheld  his  servant. 

Before  spring  he  was  sent  back  to  the  village, 
where  he  taught  and  baptized  as  he  had  opportunity, 
till  he  accompanied  his  host  to  a  lake  at  some  distance 
for  spring  fishing.  Meantime  war  parties  were  con- 
stantly going  out  to  attack  the  Algonquins  and  the 
French,  placing  Jogues  in  a  painful  position.  If 
they  were  defeated  his  life  was  in  peril  from  their 
rage  ;  if  victorious,  he  was  forced  to  witness  the 
tortures  of  the  French  that  the  Hurons  brought  back 
prisoners.  This  miserable  life  had  lasted  nearly  a 
year,  when  he  visited  with  some  of  the  Indian  traders 
the  Dutch  settlement  at  Fort  Orange.  Here  one  of 
the  leading  settlers  offered  him  a  chance  of  escape. 
He  took  a  night  to  consider  whether  he  ought  to 
go,  though  he  knew  that  the  Iroquois  who  had  lately 
suffered  defeat  were  enraged  against  him  for  having 
warned  his  French  friends  as  to  their  treacherous 
designs,  and  that  they  were  almost  certain  to  kill 
i.im  on  his  return.  Still,  he  might  be  spared  if  he 
stayed,  and  might  yet  be  able  to  rescue  some  souls 
from  perdition.  He  decided,  however,  that  it  was 
his  duty  to  take  the  offer  of  escape.  He  succeeded 
in  stealing  away  at  night  from  the  Dutch  farmhouse 


till 
■I 


'-•1 


134      THE  MARTYRS  OF   THE  HURON  MISSION. 


WW 


"■  i\ 


or  barn  in  which  he  and  the  Indians  were  lodged, 
and  reached  the  vessel  with  some  difficulty  in  a  boat 
left  for  him  on  the  shore,  not  without  a  severe  wound 
in  the  leg  from  the  teeth  of  a  watchful  dog.  The 
Indians,  however,  were  determined  to  find  him  if 
possible,  and  came  out  to  search  the  vessel,  frighten- 
ing the  officers  so  much  that  they  sent  the  fugitive 
to  a  hiding-place  on  shore,  where  he  remained  six 
weeks  half  starved,  and  suffering  from  his  wounded 
leg,  in  the  garret  of  a  miserly  old  Dutch  trader  where 
he  kept  his  goods  and  where  the  partition  of  his 
hiding-place  was  so  thin  that  the  Indians  might  easily 
have  seen  him  as  they  came  for  traffic.  While  thus 
imprisoned,  the  Dutch  minister,  Megapolensis,  kindly 
visited  and  ministered  to  his  fellow  missionary,  whom, 
notwithstanding  difference  of  creed,  he  liked  much 
and  found  "  a  very  learned  scholar." 

At  last  the  Indians  were  prevailed  on  to  accept  a 
ransom,  and  Jogues  was  sent  on  in  a  small  vessel  to 
Manhattan,  now  New  York,  where  he  was  kindly 
received  by  the  Dutch,  who  named  in  his  honor  one 
of  the  islands  in  the  harbor,  Manhattan,  like  Quebec, 
was  only  a  straggling  village  protected  by  a  primitive 
and  now  dilapidated  fort.  But  though  the  settlers 
were  mainly  Dutch,  the  population  was  so  mixed 
that  eighteen  languages  were  spoken  in  a  settlement 
numbering  some  four  or  five  hundred  people.  Many 
of  the  settlers  had,  just  then,  fallen  victims  to  a  bloody 
Indian  war  which  was  still  raging,  and  wounds  and 
death  seemed  still  to  encompass  the  missionary. 

The  Director-General  of  Manhattan  clothed  Jogues 
and  gave  him  passage  on  a  small  vessel  bound  for 
England,  on  which,  however,  he  had  to  sleep  on  a 


THE  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION.       135 


coil  of  ropes,  exposed  to  cold  and  drenching  waves. 
At  Falmouth  he  had  another  adventure,  being  robbed 
of  his  clothes  and  threatened  with  death  by  despera- 
does who  boarded  the  vessel  in  the  absence  of  the 
crew.  At  last,  after  having  faced  suffering  and 
death  in  every  form,  and  having  escaped  with  his 
life  by  what  seemed  a  continued  miracle,  he  was 
landed,  on  Christmas  eve,  1641,  on  the  coast  of 
Brittany,  where  he  once  more  had  the  happiness  of 
hearing  mass  in  a  country  church. 

After  being  hospitably  entertained  in  a  peasant's 
cottage  where  his  wounds  and  adventures  excited 
much  compassion,  he  made  his  way,  on  a  horse  lent 
him  by  a  trader  of  Rennes,  to  the  Jesuit  college  in  that 
town.  Arriving  there  on  Christmas  day,  he  sent 
word  to  the  rector  by  the  porter,  that  a  man  had 
arrived  with  news  from  Canada.  One  of  the  first 
questions  asked  was  concerning  the  fate  of  Isaac 
Jogues. 

"  He  is  alive  and  r .  liberty,  and  I  am  he  !  "  said 
the  maimed  and  poorly  clad  wayfarer,  who  at  once 
became  the  hero  of  the  day.  That  Christmas  even- 
ing service  was  one  of  joyous  thanksgiving,  and 
people  thronged  to  see  the  missionary  so  wonder- 
fully restored  from  the  fiendish  savages.  The  French 
queen  called  him  to  court,  and  knelt  to  kiss  his 
hands,  maimed  and  disfigured  by  the  Indians'  teeth 
and  knives.  The  Pope  spared  him  a  heavy  trial,  by 
sending  him  a  dispensation  from  the  rule  which 
forbids  a  deformed  priest  the  privilege  of  saying 
mass. 

Isaac  Jogues  had  done  enough  and  borne  enough 
to  entitle  him  to  be  canonized,  had  he  lived  a  century 


-  i\ 


Hi-. 


136      r//£  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION. 

before.  He  might  well  have  felt  that  he  had  earned 
rest,  but  his  missionary  zeal  was  inextinguishable, 
and  in  the  spring  he  returned  to  the  labors  and 
perils  of  the  Canadian  Mission.  For  two  years  he 
remained  at  Ville  Marie,  as  Montreal  was  then  called  ; 
years  during  which  the  whole  colony  was  harassed 
by  Iroquois  raids,  until  in  1645,  a  treaty  of  peace  was 
solemnly  made  between  the  French  and  these  fierce 
savages. 

In  order  to  insure  its  permanence  Isaac  Jogues 
was  ordered  to  visit  the  Mohawk  towns,  where  he 
was  so  well-known,  to  ratify  the  peace  and  found  an 
Iroquois  Mission  to  be  called  "The  Mission  of  the 
Martyrs."  For  a  moment  the  memory  of  former 
sufferings  awoke  his  constitutional  timidity,  and  he 
shrank  from  daring  again  perils  too  familiar ;  but 
faith  conquered  nature  and  he  went  on  his  way, 
giving  thanks  to  God  for  calling  him  to  the  high 
privilege  of  suffering  and  death  for  his  glory  and  the 
salvation  of  souls.  For  he  had  a  presentiment  that 
he  **  should  go  and  should  not  return  "  ;  a  presenti- 
ment verified  too  soon. 

He  followed  the  old  well-remembered  route  marked 
by  his  blood  and  that  of  his  comrades.  Reaching 
Lake  George  on  the  eve  of  Corpus  Chr.-sti,  he  gave 
it  the  name  of  St.  Sacrament.  He  revisited  Fort 
Orange  and  the  Dutch  friends  who  had  treated  him 
so  kindly,  and  then  appeared  among  his  former  per- 
secutors as  the  accredited  ambassador  of  the  French 
governor.  His  Mission  was  fairly  successful,  though 
the  Algonquin  deputies  were  received  with  ominous 
coldness  ;  and  after  visiting  all  the  lodges,  confessing 
Christian  prisoners,  and  baptizing  dying  Mohawks, 


THE  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION.      137 


he  and  his  companions  returned  to  Fort  Richelieu 
by  the  way  they  had  come. 

But  the  Mission  had  yet  to  be  established,  and 
Jogues  was  ordered  to  return  to  the  Mohawks. 
In  August,  1646,  four  years  after  his  first  capture, 
he  set  out  once  more  on  his  last  expedition,  accom- 
panied by  Lalonde,  a  young  lay  brother,  and  three  or 
four  Hurons.  He  was  warned  on  the  way,  that  the 
Mohawks'  feeling  had  changed,  and  that  they  were 
no  longer  to  be  trusted  ;  but  he  would  not  turn  back. 
In  the  forest  between  Lake  George  and  the  Mohawk 
they  met  a  band  of  the  Bear  tribe,  the  most  hostile 
clan  of  the  Mohawk  nation.  They  seized,  stripped, 
and  carried  off  to  their  town,  the  little  party,  repeat- 
ing the  old  fiendish  torturts.  Jogues  met  their 
cruelty  with  calm  courage  and  dignified  remon- 
strance, and  there  was  a  division  of  opinion  as  to 
his  fate.  The  clans  of  the  Tortoise  and  Wolf  would 
have  saved  him,  but  their  voices  were  overpowered 
by  the  savage  fury  of  the  Bear  clan,  and  on  the 
eighteenth  of  October  Jogues  met  a  martyr's  death 
from  the  tomahawk  of  one  of  the  savages.  Lalande 
shared  the  same  fate.  And  so  Isaac  Jogues  found 
in  death  the  rest  denied  to  him  in  life. 

The  flames  of  the  Iroquois  war  were  now  kindled, 
aided  by  the  fire-arms  provided  by  the  Dutch  and 
English  settlers,  and  were  destined  to  burn  out  to 
the  bitter  end,  to  the  destruction  of  both  Hurons 
and  Iroquois.  The  long-standing  feud  between  the 
two  tribes  would  be  satisfied  only  with  the  annihi- 
lat^ion  of  the  persecuted  Hurons,  and  the  mutually 
destructive  contest  prepared  the  way  for  the  repopu- 
lation   of  the  land   from  the   Old   World,  and  the 


1^'; 


1 


1  ,  t-i 


138      THE  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION, 


m 


mm 


I'. 


ft 


gradual  disappearance  of  the  red  man  before  the 
white.  The  Iroquois  had  at  this  time  not  more 
than  three  thousand  warriors,  but  their  irrepressible 
fury  and  ferocity  seemed  to  carry  all  before  it,  and 
made  them  a  terror  alike  in  the  French  settlements 
and  in  the  villages  of  the  Hurons.  Midnight  raids 
and  massacres  were  the  too  frequent  fate  of  both  ;  and 
even  in  the  remote  wilds  north  of  the  Ottawa,  the 
Huron  hunters  were  not  safe  from  sudden  surprise, 
torture,  and  death. 

The  Huron  Missions  alone  seemed  to  prosper  in 
this  season  of  despair.  Misfortunes  and  peril  drove 
the  Indians  to  the  missionaries  for  comfort  and  hope. 
The  mission  to  the  Abenaquis,  an  Algonquin  tribe, 
had  prospered  also  ;  and  their  missionary,  Druilletes, 
who,  like  P^re  Le  Jeune,  shared  the  winter  wander- 
ings of  his  flock  —  though,  unlike  him,  he  was  sur- 
rounded by  converted  Indians  —  was  sent  on  an 
embassy  to  the  English  settlers  of  the  colony  of 
Massachusetts.  ' 

It  is  an  interesting  circumstance  that  on  this 
embassy  Druilletes,  met  with  John  Eliot,  the  first 
Protestant  missionary  of  America,  known  as  "the 
Apostle  to  the  Indians,"  and  that  the  two  mission- 
aries, Jesuit  and  Protestant,  met  in  brotherly  sympa- 
thy on  the  common  ground  of  their  mission  of  love. 

In  the  Huron  country,  in  1638,  the  missions  to  the 
Hurons  seemed  to  be  firmly  established  and  prosper- 
ous ;  centers  of  a  fast-spreading  Christian  civilization. 
There  were  missions  and  mission  churches,  not  only 
at  Ossossan6  and  St.  Marie,  but  also  at  St.  Joseph, 
St.  Ignace,  St.  Michel,  St.  Baptiste,  St.  Louis  and 
St.  Madeleine;   Huron  towns  dignified  with  Chris- 


x  w 


THE  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MfSS/O.V.      139 


tian  names.  In  the  formerly  hostile  Tobacco  Nation 
had  been  planted  the  Missions  of  St.  Jean  and  St. 
Matthias.  There  were  two  Missions,  also,  for  Algon- 
quin refugees  —  those  of  St.  Elizabeth  and  St.  Esprit ; 
—  while  an  outlying  post  at  St.  Pierre  was  the 
advance  guard  toward  the  wilderness  beyond  Lake 
Superior.  Sainte  Marie  was  the  center  and  parent  of 
all  the  rest.  With  its  strong  fort,  its  large  mission 
house,  and  its  tilled  fields,  it  was  the  place  where, 
two  or  three  times  a  year,  all  the  brotherhood  met 
for  consultation,  or  to  which  they  resorted  periodically 
for  rest,  retirement,  meditation  and  prayer.  To  the 
laborers,  weary  with  perpetual  and  exhausting  jour- 
neyings  in  the  wilderness,  following  their  wandering 
flocks  by  land  or  water,  the  meetings  at  Sainte  Marie 
seemed  like  a  foretaste  of  heaven.  The  hospitality 
of  the  mission  house  was  bountifully  exercised,  not 
only  to  the  missionaries,  but  also  to  the  converts,  who 
were  in  time  of  famine  lodged  and  fed  to  the  num- 
ber of  three  thousand  at  one  time  and  six  thousand 
at  another.  The  Fathers  possessed  fowls,  pigs,  and 
some  cattle,  and  could  also  procure  fish  from  the 
neighboring  lake.  But  their  ordinary  fare  was  the 
simple  porridge  of  Indian  meal,  seasoned  with  scraps 
of  fish  as  a  substitute  for  salt. 

The  Mission  staff  at  this  time  consisted  of  eight- 
een priests,  four  lay  brothers,  a  body  of  twenty-three 
volunteer  laborers,  seven  hired  men,  and  four  boys, 
with  a  little  garrison  of  eight  soldiers.  Each  Mission 
had  its  own  pHest,  its  church  and  its  church  bell,  the 
latter  sometimes  hung  from  a  neighboring  tree.  The 
converts  looked  up  with  childlike  trust  to  their  spirit- 
ual  Fathers,   who  always   treated   them   with    the 


n" 


HO     THE  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION. 


?f'3 


(';?  i 


utmost  patience  and  gentleness,  even  while  they  reso- 
lutely opposed  all  immoral  practices,  and  taught  the 
vindictive  Indians  the  duty  of  forgiving  and  praying 
for  their  enemies. 

The  Huron  Mission  with  all  its  difficulties,  showed 
a  good  return  for  fourteen  years  of  untiring  and  de- 
voted labor.  It  seemed  as  if  the  faith  and  patience 
of  the  Fathers  were  to  be  rewarded  by  seeing  their 
Mission  grow  and  prosper  till  their  influence  and  that 
of  their  faith  had  extended  over  the  whole  of  the 
once  savage  wilderness. 

But  it  was  not  to  be  as  they  hoped.  In  1649  ^^ 
fatal  storm  broke  over  the  hapless  Mission.  St. 
Joseph  was  the  first  to  feel  its  force.  The  priest  of 
this  Mission  was  Antoine  Daniel,  who  had  labored 
there  for  years  with  great  success.  The  place  was 
surprised  by  the  Iroquois  in  the  absence  of  its 
"braves."  The  priest,  in  his  robes  of  office,  fell 
beneath  a  shower  of  arrows  and  gun  shots,  and  his 
dead  body  was  thrown  into  the  blazing  church  to 
mingle  with  its  ashes. 

A  little  respite  followed  for  eight  months  succeed- 
ing this  calamity,  and  then  the  flames  of  war  broke 
out  again.  St.  Ignace  and  St.  Louis  were  the  next 
victims.  In  March,  1649,  the  Iroquois  entered,  un- 
discovered, into  the  Huron  country,  where  the  de- 
sponding inhabitants  seemed  to  have  lost  all  energy 
for  vigilance  and  self  defense,  They  pounced,  like 
wolves,  on  the  vlUage  of  St.  Ignace.  Here,  too,  the 
warriors  were  all  absent  on  a  hunt  or  a  foray,  and  the 
defenseless  inhabitants  fell  an  easy  prey. 

The  next  point  of  attack  was  St.  Louis,  where  were 
Brebeuf  and  Lallemant.     Here  the  Hurons,  with  des- 


THE  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION.     141 


perate  courage,  made  a  brave  defense,  while  Br^beuf 
and  Lallemant  kept  their  posts  in  the  hottest  of  the 
fight ;  the  one  absolving,  the  other  baptizing  the 
wounded  and  the  dying.  But  the  invaders  broke  in 
at  last,  set  fire  to  the  town  and  captured  the  priests 
with  the  rest  of  the  Mission  staff. 

Sainte  Marie  was  the  next  attacked.  The  enemy 
had  been  hourly  expected  since  the  smoke  of  St. 
Louis  had  been  observed  at  the  headquarters  of  the 
Mission.  Here  the  chances  of  defense  were  much 
better.  There  was  an  armed  body  of  forty  French- 
men and  a  force  of  three  hundred  Huron  converts 
from  Ossossand  and  St.  Madeleine,  arrived  in  time  to 
go  out  in  bands  to  meet  the  scattered  division  of  the 
enemy.  One  of  these  bands  was  routed  and  driven 
back  to  Sainte  Marie ;  but  the  others  came  to  the 
rescue  and  attacked  the  Iroquois  with  such  vigor  and 
success  as  to  drive  them  back  to  take  refuge  within 
the  still  standing  palisades  of  St.  Louis.  Thither 
the  Hurons  pursued  them  and  captured  most  of  the 
fugitives,  remaining  for  the  time  masters  of  the  posi- 
tion. But  the  main  body  of  the  Iroquois  soon  ap- 
peared before  St.  Louis,  raging  like  human  tigers  for 
their  prey. 

The  battle  that  followed  was  one  of  the  most  ob- 
stinate aiid  furious  ever  known  in  Indian  warfare.  It 
lasted  all  night,  closing  only  when  almost  all  the 
Hurons  had  been  slain,  leaving  but  some  twenty  ex- 
hausted prisoners.  The  Indian  fiends,  as  they 
seemed,  returned  to  St.  Ignace  and  burned  their 
prisoners  in  their  bark  lodges  before  retreating  under 
a  panic  that  had  seized  them,  probably  caused  by  the 
desperate  defense  of  the  Hurons. 


l:u 


'i 


i;^^ 


,^1 


IL 


142      r//E  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION, 

Br^beuf  and  Lallemant  had  previously  met  with  a 
terrible  fate.  Their  fiendish  captors  had  tortured 
them  to  death  with  the  most  horrible  cruelty,  most 
heroically  borne  by  men  who  died,  as  they  had  lived, 
full  of  the  spirit  of  unflinching  martyrdom.  Of 
Br^beuf,  a  noble  scion  of  a  valiant  line,  it  was  said 
that  "his  death  was  the  astonishment  of  his  mur- 
derers," and  the  weaker  and  more  sensitive  Lallemant 
endured  yet  more  protracted  suffering  with  equal 
fortitude.  The  skull  of  Br^beuf  is  still  preserved, 
encased  in  a  silver  bust,  in  the  Hotel  Dieu  of  Quebec. 

Sainte  Marie  had  escaped  for  the  time,  but  the 
Hurons  had  given  up  all  hope  of  defending  them- 
selves against  the  Iroquois.  They  began  to  abandon 
their  villages,  burning  most  of  them  lest  they  should 
shelter  their  foes.  In  a  short  time  fifteen  towns  were 
left  desolate  and  their  population  wandered  in  fugi- 
tive bands,  seeking  hiding-places.  The  missionaries 
in  the  forest  must  follow  their  people,  and  the  pros- 
perous Mission  station  of  Sainte  Marie  must  be 
abandoned. 

The  Hurons  entreated  the  Fathers  to  join  the  large 
body  of  their  scattered  people  on  the  Isle  St.  Joseph 
in  the  Georgian  Bay,  where  they  hoped  for  a  safe 
asylum.  The  missionaries  agreed  to  go,  and  trans- 
ported thither  on  a  raft  everything  that  could  be 
removed  from  the  Mission,  after  which  they  set  fire 
to  the  buildings,  and  with  sorrowful  yet  trustful 
hearts,  deserted  the  scene  of  so  many  years  of  hope- 
ful toil.  The  Iroquois  still  continued  to  ravage  the 
mainland,  and  in  the  autumn  penetrated  even  to  the 
country  of  the  Tobacco  Nation,  where  they  destroyed 
the  Mission  of  St.  Jean,  and  its  two  priests  Gamier 


THE  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION.      143 


and  Chabanel  fell  victims,  the  one  to  the  rage  of 
the  Iroquois,  the  other  to  that  of  a  renegade  Huron. 

Meantime  a  fort  and  chapel,  a  new  Sainte  Marie, 
had  been  built  on  Isle  St.  Joseph,  and  some  six 
or  eight  thousand  fugitives  were  crowded  into  some 
hundred  bark  lodges.  Had  the  leader  been  Cham- 
plain  this  large  body  might  have  successfully  stood 
their  ground  against  the  Iroquois.  But  the  Fathers 
had  a  very  different  mission,  and  there  was  no  mili- 
tary leader  at  hand  to  rally  them.  The  P'rench  at 
Quebec  and  Montreal  were  not  strong  enough  to  do 
more  than  hold  their  own. 

The  Fathers  did  all  in  their  power  to  mitigate  the 
misery  of  the  winter  that  followed  and  to  ward  off 
starvation.  But  in  the  spring  when  the  poor  starving 
Hurons  ventured  out  for  the  fishing  which  was  abso- 
lutely necessary  for  their  support,  the  relentless  Iro- 
quois were  everywhere  on  their  track,  hunting  them 
down  like  wild  beasts.  In  despair  the  Huron  chiefs 
held  a  council,  and  resolved  to  abandon  their  doomed 
country.  They  besought  the  missionaries  to  gather 
the  remnant  of  their  nation  and  lead  them  to  an 
asylum  under  the  protection  of  the  fort  at  Quebec. 
The  Jesuits  could  not  refuse  the  pathetic  appeal. 
And  so,  with  about  three  hundred  followers,  the  sur- 
viving missionaries  finally  left  "  the  country  of  our 
hopes  and  our  hearts,  where  our  brethren  had  glori- 
ously shed  their  blood." 

On  their  way  down  the  Ottawa  they  met  Bressani 
returning  with  a  force  of  Frenchmen  to  succor  the 
poor  Hurons ;  too  late,  however,  for  the  purpose. 
Bressani,  who  had  formerly  been  captured  by  the 
Iroquois,  as  was  Jogues  two  years  later,  and  had  gone 


144      THE  MARTYRS  OF  THE  HURON  MISSION. 


%\ 


\  'i\ 


through  almost  the  same  experience  of  torture  heroi- 
cally borne,  and  of  deliverance  after  a  year's  captivity, 
had  now  had  a  hair-breadth  escape,  with  three  arrow- 
wounds,  from  a  sudden  attack  as  his  party  advanced 
up  the  Ottawa. 

The  whole  body  safely  reached  Quebec,  where  the 
nuns  and  the  inhabitants  received  the  refugees  kindly 
and  did  all  they  could  to  provide  for  them,  though 
food  was  scarce  even  in  Quebec.  They  formed  a 
settlement  on  the  Isle  of  Orleans,  but  even  here 
the  Iroquois  pursued  them  and  they  were  obliged  for  a 
second  time  to  take  refuge  in  Quebec.  They  finally 
found  a  permanent  resting  place  at  Lorette,  near 
Quebec,  where  the  traveler  of  to-day  may  still  see 
the  few  survivors  of  one  of  the  largest  Indian  tribes 
of  North  America. 

Most  of  the  remnant  who  had  remained  at  Isle 
St.  Joseph,  and  had  tried  to  entrench  themselves  in 
the  deserted  French  fort,  were  eventually  forced  to 
take  refuge  in  Grand  Manitoulin  Island  ;  finally  to 
follow  their  brethren  to  Quebec.  Even  the  Tobacco 
Nation  was  obliged  to  retreat  before  the  pursuing  Iro- 
quois toward  Michigan,  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi. 
Years  after,  when  the  power  of  the  Iroquois  had  been 
merged  into  the  French,  some  scattered  bands  found 
their  way  back  to  their  old  hunting  grounds. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  century  there  were  still 
Jesuit  Missions  on  the  Great  Lakes,  one  of  the  chief 
posts  being  at  the  Sault  St.  Marie,  much  farther 
west  than  the  original  Sainte  Marie  ;  the  other  being 
the  survivor  of  the  original  Missions,  that  of  St.  Es- 
prit, founded  twenty-five  years  before,  in  the  savage 
Tobacco  Nation,  by  the  martyrs  of  the  Huron  Mission. 


CHAPTER   X. 


THE    STORY   OF    VILLE    MARIE   DE    MONTREAL. 


THE  little  settlement  of  Quebec,  so  carefully 
tended  by  Champlain  amid  so  many  difficul- 
ties and  disasters,  had  grown  very  slowly  since  his 
death.  His  successor,  M.  de  Montmagny,  a  Knight 
of  Malta,  was  a  fairly  good  governor,  and  although 
without  Champlain's  enthusiastic  devotion,  he  tried 
to  do  his  duty  toward  the  settlement  and  the  Mis- 
sion. He  rebuilt  Fort  St.  Louis  in  stone,  and  did  the 
same  for  the  Jesuits'  **  Habitation,"  close  to  the  fort, 
which  had  been  burned  down.  Here  some  of  them 
now  lived,  though  others  still  occupied  the  old  Mis- 
sion House  at  Notre  Dame  des  Anges. 

But  there  were,  as  yet,  very  few  settlers  at  Quebec. 
The  new  Company  of  the  Hundred  Associates  had 
undertaken  to  send  out  from  France  two  thousand 
colonists.  But  it  was  not  easy  to  induce  many  to  go 
to  settle  in  that  much  dreaded  climate  and  savage 
country.  Only  the  self-sacrificing  enthusiasm  of 
those  devoted  men  and  women  who  left  their  homes 
in  France  for  the  sake  of  converting  the  poor  ignorant 
Indian,  proved  stronger  than  even  the  love  of  gain, 
and  k  it  life  and  spirit  in  the  little  colony.  It  was 
to  th  enthusiastic  missionary  devotion  that  the  set- 
tler      t  of  Montreal  owed  its  origin. 

A     x-gatherer  of  Anjou,  named  Dauversi^re,  and 

US 


u   hnw. 


146 


F/LLE  MARIE  DE  MONTREAL. 


la  ; 

Vi  I 


m 

I**  ■ 


J 


if.    * 


h-\. 


WW  % 


a  priest  named  D'Olier,  the  founder  of  the  Seminary 
of  the  Sulpitians,  were,  about  the  same  time,  sepa- 
rately inspired  with  an  ardent  enthusiasm  for  estab- 
lishing an  Indian  Mission  in  the  island  of  Montreal. 

It  has  been  told  already  how  Champlain  had  long 
before  selected  this  large  island  as  a  desirable  site 
for  a  settlement,  situated  as  it  was  at  the  junction 
of  two  great  rivers  down  which  the  Indians  were 
wont  to  come  for  traffic  from  the  wilds  of  the  North 
and  West.  The  two  met  at  the  old  Chateau  of  Meu- 
don,  near  Paris,  quickened  each  other's  zeal,  and  took 
counsel  as  to  the  best  way  of  attaining  their  end. 
Their  plan  was  to  found  three  religious  communities  ; 
one  of  priests,  one  of  hospital  nuns  to  tend  the  sick, 
and  one  of  teaching  nuns  to  instruct  the  children  of 
the  Indians  and  colonists.  Two  or  three  yeari.  before 
similar  communities  of  nuns  had  been  founded  at 
Quebec,  chiefly  by  the  efforts  of  the  two  devoted 
French  ladies  already  mentioned  —  Madame  de  la 
Peltrie  and  Marie  de  I'lncarnation.  They  had  es- 
tablished a  hospital  and  Mission  School  at  the  pretty 
point  of  Sillery,  four  miles  from  Quebec,  named  after 
Noel  Brulart  de  Sillery,  a  Knight  of  Malta  who  had 
given  his  f-^rtune  to  support  this  Mission.  Here 
still  stands  one  of  the  old  Mission  Houses,  and  a 
stately  elm  marks  the  spot  where  stood  the  first  con- 
vent of  these  devoted  hospital  nuns,  who  cheerfully 
undertook  the  nursing  of  red  and  white  men  alike, 
through  the  most  contagious  and  revolting  diseases. 

An  epidemic  of  small-pox  among  the  Indians  was 
one  of  their  first  experiences ;  and  several  of  the 
Sisters  sacrificed  their  lives  to  their  Christian  devo- 
tion in  the  succor  of  the  perishing.     It  was  here  that 


VILLE  MARIE   DE   MONTREAL, 


147 


Madame  de  laPeltrie  and  her  small  company  first  saw 
the  little  dusky  Indian  children  they  had  come  to 
teach.  Here,  too,  under  a  shady  maple  stands  a 
monument  to  the  "  Useful  Father,"  Pere  Enemond 
Mass^,  the  first  missionary  laid  beneath  the  soil  of 
New  France. 

M.  Dauversiere  and  M,  D'Olier  soon  found  wealthy 
friends  willing  to  help  them  to  found  a  Mission  at  this 
central  spot  which  might  throw  its  light  far  into  the 
surrounding  darkness.  The  island  of  Montreal  then 
belonged  to  M  Lauzon,  one  of  the  "  Hundred  Asso- 
ciates," who  was  induced  to  transfer  his  title  to  the 
little  missionary  company,  a  transfer  confirmed  by 
the  "Associates,"  who  however  reserved  a  site  for  a 
fort,  stipulating  that  the  new  owners  should  not  en- 
gage in  the  fur  trade  nor  build  any  more  forts  than 
were  needed  for  defense. 

The  way  being  now  clear  for  the  settlement  forty 
men  were  sent  out  to  clear  and  cultivate  the  land  and 
entrench  themselves  securely  on  the  spot ;  while  the 
founders  occupied  themselves  in  collecting  mission 
workers.  They  found  an  admirable  leader  and  com- 
mander for  the  party  in  a  brave  soldier  and  Christian 
knight,  Paul  de  Maisonneuve,  who  was  somewhat  of 
the  type  of  Champlain.  A  devoted  lady  named 
Mademoiselle  Mance  had  also  become  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  proposed  plan,  and  resolved  to  join  the 
Mission.  Three  other  women,  two  of  them  wives  of 
the  men  who  were  going,  were  also  added  to  the 
band  of  settlers. 

Before  the  expedition  set  sail  the  forty-five  emi- 
grants, with  Maisonneuve  at  their  head,  met  in  the 
church  of  Notre  Dame  at  Paris,  and  solemnly  consc- 


m 


143 


VILLE  MARIE  DE  MONTREAL. 


n 


I   : 


i 


1 


\\-x\ 


crated  the  new  settlement,  which  was  to  bear  the 
name  of  Ville  Marie  de  Montreal.  Although  this 
ceremonial  took  place  in  February,  there  were  delays 
in  the  start,  and  the  party  reached  Quebec  too  late 
to  proceed  to  Montreal  that  season.  The  newly  ar- 
rived strangers  did  not  meet  with  a  very  warm  greet- 
ing, for  there  was  a  good  deal  of  jealousy  of  their 
undertaking,  and  Montmagny  felt  as  if  Maisonneuve 
were  in  some  degree  a  rival  commander.  The  new- 
comers were  urgently  pressed  to  settle  at  Quebec  or 
at  least  to  exchange  the  island  of  Montreal  for  that 
of  Orleans,  where  they  would  be  nearer  to  their 
friends  for  mutual  aid  and  defense.  But  Maisonneuve 
was  firmly  faithful  to  his  commission.  "  I  have  not 
come  here,"  he  said,  *'  to  deliberate,  but  to  act.  It  is 
my  duty  and  my  honor  to  found  a  colony  at  Montreal ; 
and  I  would  go  if  every  tree  were  an  Iroquois." 

There  was,  of  course,  no  hotel  at  Quebec,  and  few 
people  there  had  room  in  their  small  houses  for 
guests.  Fortunately  for  the  strangers,  M.  Puiseaux, 
a  hospitable  colonist,  found  space  for  them  all  in  his 
rough  but  roomy  abode  at  St.  Michel  near  Quebec. 
They  were  quite  close  to  the  Sillery  Mission  House, 
and  as  they  spent  the  winter  there,  the  leaders  of  the 
Mission  had  an  opportunity  of  getting  some  insight 
into  their  future  work.  The  men  were  kept  busy  by 
the  commander  in  building  boats  and  making  other 
necessary  preparations  for  settlement.  The  monot- 
ony of  the  winter  was  varied  by  an  unpleasant  little 
collision  between  Montmagny  and  Maisonneuve, 
resulting  from  the  governor's  jealousy  because  Mais- 
onneuve's  men  had  fired  a  salute  in  honor  of  his 
birthday. 


VILLE  MARIE  DE  MONTREAL. 


149 


At  last  the  icy  barriers  broke  before  the  soft 
breezes  of  April,  and  the  deep  blue  of  the  river 
greeted  the  longing  eyes  of  the  colonists.  Early  in 
May,  all  were  embarked  in  the  little  flotilla,  consist- 
ing of  a  pinnace,  a  flat-bottomed  barge  with  sails,  and 
two  row  boats.  As  they  slowly  made  their  way  up 
the  windings  of  the  wide  river,  the  forest  was  begin- 
ning to  put  on  its  garment  of  delicate  green,  and  the 
balmy  fragrance  of  the  opening  buds  floated  to  them 
on  the  soft  sunshiny  air.  All  seemed  peace  and 
promise  to  the  outward  eye,  though  the  adventurers 
well  knew  that  unseen  and  terrible  dangers  lurked 
behind  the  fair  svlvan  scene. 

On  the  seventeenth  of  May,  1642,  the  little  expe- 
dition drew  near  the  forest-clad  slopes  of  the  stately 
Mont  Royal,  and  as  they  approached  it,  a  hymn  of 
grateful  praise  went  up  from  all  the  boats.  Next 
day,  after  gliding  past  the  green  solitary  shores  that 
now  bustle  with  warehouses  and  factories,  the  set- 
tlers landed  at  the  rivulet-bordered  meadow,  called 
Point  Callidre,  which  Champlain  long  before  had 
chosen  as  the  site  of  the  settlement. 

Maisonneuve  was  the  first  to  spring  to  shore. 
The  others  quickly  followed,  and  all  fell  on  their 
knees  and  joined  in  enthusiastic  songs  of  thanks- 
giving. The  tents  and  baggage  were  soon  landed, 
and  then  an  altar  was  erected  in  a  pleasant  spot  near 
the  river.  This  was  tastefully  decorated  by  the 
ladies  of  the  party  with  the  graceful  wild  flowers  that 
grew  in  such  abundance  around  them.  Then  the 
whole  party  gathered  about  it  —  M.  Vincent,  the 
Superior  of  the  Jesuits,  in  his  rich  ecclesiastical 
robes,  the  Governor,  Montmagny,  in  his  state  dress ; 


'  I 


'I'lifi 


u 


"ia 


'5° 


VILLE  MARIE  DE  MONTREAL. 


1-^^ 


1!.;:; 


I'l 


the  tall  soldierly  figure  of  Maisonneuve,  the  ladies 
with  their  female  attendant,  and  all  the  sailors, 
soldiers  and  artisans  who  made  up  the  complement 
of  the  expedition.  Each  knelt  in  solemn  silence  as 
the  ceremony  of  high  mass  was  performed  by  M.  Vin- 
cent. At  the  close,  he  turned  to  the  colonists  and 
addressed  them  in  these  words  : 

"  You  are  a  grain  of  mustard  seed  that  shall  rise 
and  grow  till  its  branches  overshadow  the  earth. 
You  are  few,  but  your  work  is  the  work  of  God. 
His  smile  is  on  you,  and  your  children  shall  fill  the 
land." 

If  the  speaker  could  have  seen  as  in  a  vision  the 
French  Canada  of  to-day,  with  its  stately  churches 
and  convents,  he  would  feel  that  his  confident  words 
had  been  justified,  and  the  self-sacrificing  labors  of 
the  pioneers  rewarded.  In  all  things,  men  reap  as 
they  sow.  As  the  soft  May  sunset  melted  into  twi- 
light, the  fireflies  began  to  sparkle  among  the  dusky 
woods.  The  eager  colonists  caught  them  and  fes- 
tooned their  altar  with  their  living  light.  And  then 
as  the  bright  camp-fire  blazed  out  in  the  gathering 
gloom  and  lighted  up  the  outlines  of  the  tents  pitched 
for  present  accommodation,  the  tired  but  hopeful 
colonists  lay  down  to  rest,  and  dreamed,  perchance, 
of  the  future  glory  of  Ville  Marie  '^  Montreal. 

Next  day  everybody  was  early  astir  and  hard  at 
work.  The  men  began  to  fell  the  great  forest  trees, 
and  very  soon  all  the  tents  were  surrounded  by 
palisades,  and  the  altar  was  sheltered  by  a  little 
chapel  of  birch-bark.  In  a  short  time  small  wooden 
houses  took  the  place  of  the  tents,  and  the  little 
settlement   had   some  visible   existence.     The  first 


VILLE  MARIE  DE  MONTREAL. 


»5i 


experiences  of  the  colonists  here  were  all  pleasant 
ones,  with  charming  summer  weather,  with  a  fair 
landscape  spread  around  them  rich  in  noble  outlines 
of  distant  hills  and  dense  masses  of  forest  as  yet 
bearing  no  trace  of  human  habitation. 

On  Sundays  after  mass  the  colonists  loved  to 
ascend  the  beautiful  hill  above  them  for  the  mag- 
nificent view,  the  main  features  of  which  civilization 
has  but  liti:le  altered,  and  to  stroll  in  the  surrounding 
meadow  and  the  fair  green  woods  that  skirted  it, 
enjoying  the  abundance  of  wild  flowers  so  new  and 
strange  to  them. 

Madame  de  La  Peltrie  and  Mademoiselle  Mance 
had  already  some  pupils  to  teach  and  catechise 
among  the  Indians  who  stopped  at  Ville  Marie  on 
their  wandering  course.  On  fete  days  they  had 
solemn  services,  processions  of  the  colonists,  salutes 
from  their  cannon,  all  of  which  much  impressed  the 
savages.  And  so  the  summer  passed  at  Ville  Marie 
in  quiet  and  tranquil  labor. 

But  that  summer  of  1642  was  an  exciting  one  in 
the  eventful  history  of  New  France.  The  hatred  of 
the  fierce  Iroquois  tribe  had  been  silently  smoulder- 
ing ever  since  Champlain  had  unhappily  commenced 
his  warfare  with  them  thirty-two  years  before.  The 
Iroquois  were  now  pretty  well  supplied  with  arms  by 
the  Dutch  settlers  of  the  eastern  coast,  and  their 
natural  pride  and  ferocity  were  now  stimulated  to 
such  a  degree  that  they  could  be  satisfied  with  noth- 
ing less  than  sole  possession  of  the  country.  They 
declared  that  they  would  sweep  away  not  only  the 
Algonquins  and  Hurons,  but  the  P'rench  also,  and 
carry  off  the  "  white  girls  "  (the  nuns)  to  their  vil- 


U 


■Hi 


m\ 


f;Ji  ^  i 


'III 


;!';! 


\i 


:il 

i:, 

hi 
1  ■ "' 

r-  ■  ■ 

;,. 

152 


I  VALE  MARIE  DE  MONTREAL. 


fiJi. 


lages.  The  hospital  nuns  were  obliged  to  leave 
Sillery,  to  take  refuge  within  the  walls  of  Quebec. 
The  colonists  were  harassed  by  sudden  attacks  on 
passing  boats  and  canoes,  or  stealthy  descents  on 
French  traders,  or  on  the  settlers  near, Three  Rivers 
and  Quebec,  while  crafty  ambuscades  were  laid  for 
the  Hurons  also,  as  they  brought  their  furs  to  the 
trading  posts. 

During  this  summer  took  place  the  capture  of  the 
heroic  Isaac  Jogues,  which  has  been  related  in  the 
foregoing  story.  About  the  same  time  M.  de  Mont- 
magny  went  at  the  head  of  an  armed  force,  including 
a  recent  reinforcement  of  troops  from  France,  to 
found  a  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Richelieu,  in 
order  to  check  the  Iroquois'  constant  descent  to  the 
St.  Lawrence  by  this  water  highway.  A  large  band 
descended  upon  them  when  the  fort  was  nearly  com- 
pleted, and  a  fierce  engagement  took  place,  ending 
in  the  retreat  of  the  Indians  —  the  first  battle  in  a 
long  and  bloody  border  warfare.  The  Iroquois,  how- 
ever, managed  to  evade  the  guns  of  the  fort,  by 
making  a  portage  of  a  mile,  and  carrying  their  canoes 
through  the  forest. 

With  the  frosts  of  December  came  the  first  troubles 
of  the  settlement  of  Ville  Marie.  The  swollen  river, 
dammed  up  by  the  accumulating  ice,  rose  rapidly  and 
threatened  to  sweep  away  their  whole  summer's 
work.  Powerless  to  stop  the  advancing  flood,  the 
colonists  had  recourse  to  prayer. 

Maisonneuve  raised  'a  wooden  cross  in  front  of  the 
flood  and  vowed  to  plant  another  cross  on  the  mount- 
ain summit  as  a  thank-offering  for  deliverance.  The 
advancing  river  stayed  its  course  just  as  the  waves 


VrLT.E  MARIE   DE   MONTREAL. 


153 


were  threatening  to  sap  the  powder-magazine  ;  and 
as  it  soon  began  to  recede,  the  colonists  felt  they 
were  safe.  Maisonneuve  at  once  prepared  to  fulfill 
his  vow.  A  path  was  cleared  through  the  forest  to 
the  top  of  the  mountain,  and  a  large  wooden  cross 
was  made  and  blessed  for  the  purpose.  On  the 
sixteenth  of  January  a  solemn  procession  ascended 
the  newly-made  pathway,  headed  by  the  Jesuit  Du 
Peron  followed  by  Maii  .mneuve,  bearing  on  his  shoul- 
ders the  heavy  cross  which  had  taxed  even  his 
strength  to  carry  up  the  steep  and  rugged  ascent. 
When  the  cross  had  been  set  up,  the  leaders  received 
the  Sacrament  on  the  summit  of  Mont  Royal. 

The  winter  —  little  less  severe  than  the  winter 
of  Quebec  —  was  passed  by  the  colonists  in  tolerable 
comfort.  The  greater  part  of  the  community  lived 
with  the  two  Jesuit  Fathers  in  one  large  wooden 
house,  which  they  kept  warm  with  blazing  log-fires, 
and  as  all  were  animated  by  one  spirit  of  devotion  to 
their  aim  —  the  conversion  of  the  Indians  —  their 
social  life  was  one  of  peace  and  harmony. 

Still  it  was  with  gladness  that  they  again  saw 
the  snows  melt  away  and  give  place  to  the  fresh 
foliage  and  flowers  of  spring.  In  the  following 
August  they  had  the  joy  of  welcoming  a  vessel  from 
France  which  had  safely  passed  through  the  perils  of 
Iroquois  ambuscades,  and  brought  them  new  helpers 
—  Louis  D'Aillebout,  a  brave  and  devout  gentleman 
who  afterwards  succeeded  M.  de  Montmagny  as 
Governor  of  Canada,  with  his  wife  and  her  sister, 
both  as  zealous  as  himself,  to  devote  their  all  to  the 
Canadian  Mission.  D'Aillebout  was  skilled  in  the 
art  of  fortification,  and  under  his  direction  earthen 


154 


VriLE  MARIE  DE  MONTREAL. 


K     \ 


IW 


ramparts  and  bastions  soon  replaced  the  primitive 
palisades  that  had  been  the  only  defense  of  the  set- 
tlement. 

A  lady  in  France  had  contributed  a  large  sum  of 
money  for  the  equipment  of  a  hospital,  which  was 
built  accordingly,  though  as  yet  there  were  no 
patients,  and  provided  with  all  the  necessary  furniture, 
linen  and  medicines.  Mademoiselle  Mance  was  duly 
installed  in  it,  to  wait  for  the  Indian  patients  whose 
bodies  and  souls  were  to  be  cared  for  within  its  walls. 
Meantime,  she  and  the  other  ladies  made  pilgrimages 
to  the  mountain  cross,  to  pray  for  the  success  of 
their  work.  Sometimes  fifteen  or  sixteen  of  the 
settlers  would  join  in  these  pilgrimages,  proving  their 
sincerity  by  giving  up  to  them  the  greater  part  of 
the  day,  when  time  was  very  precious.  They  seized 
every  opportunity  of  gaining  an  influence  over  the 
Indians  who  came  near  Ville  Marie,  succoring  and 
clothing  them  and  sharing  with  them  in  time  of  need 
the  provisions  sent  to  them  at  great  cost  from 
France.  Their  efforts  were  crowned  with  some 
apparent  success,  and  among  their  professed  con- 
verts was  numbered  a  chief  famed  for  his  savage  and 
crafty  nature  —  Tessouat,  or,  as  the  French  called 
him,  Le  Borgne.  He  was  christened  by  the  name  of 
Paul,  and  presented  with  a  gun,  as  an  encourage- 
ment to  others  to  follow  his  example. 

The  French  did  all  they  could,  however,  to  stimu- 
late the  Indians  to  the  more  peaceful  pursuits  of 
agriculture,  giving  them  implements  for  tilling  the 
ground  and  showing  them  how  to  use  them.  But 
the  dreaded  Iroquois  were  perpetually  lurking  near, 
ready  to  harass  and  destroy  ;    and  unfortunately,  in 


VILLE  MARIE  DE  MONTREAL. 


>S5 


their  pursuit  of  some  Algonquins,  these  ferocious 
savages  discovered  the  new  settlement  to  which  the 
fugitives  filed  for  safety.  Thenceforth,  their  ambus- 
cades infested  the  vicinity,  and  none  of  the  colonists 
could  venture  to  any  distance  from  the  settlement, 
except  in  armed  parties,  prepared  for  sudden  assaults. 
Pilgrimages  and  woodland  strolls  were  no  longer 
practicable,  except  at  the  risk  of  life  ;  so  crafty  and 
•vigilant  was  the  cruel  and  stealthy  foe. 

A  party  of  Hurons,  coming  down  in  June  to  sell 
their  furs,  were  startled  by  finding  at  Lachine  a 
rough  Indian  fort,  held  by  a  large  party  of  Iroquois. 
The  Hurons,  to  save  themselves,  turned  traitors  to 
their  French  friends,  and  professed  great  friendship 
for  the  Iroquois,  telling  them  all  they  knew  about 
Ville  Marie,  and  assuring  them  of  an  easy  victory  if 
they  would  attack  it.  The  Iroquois  were  very  ready 
to  do  this,  and  sent  out  a  party  of  their  warriors,  who 
surprised  six  of  the  French  laborers  hewing  wood 
near  the  fort,  killing  three  and  taking  the  others 
prisoners.  The  treachery  of  the  Hurons,  however, 
returned  upon  their  own  heads,  for  the  Iroquois  fell 
upon  them  unawares,  and  killed  or  captured  all  but 
a  few  fugitives,  who  fled  to  Ville  Marie,  where  the 
unsuspected  traitors  were  kindly  received  and  shel- 
tered. The  marauding  band  speedily  made  off,  carry- 
ing with  them,  besides  their  prisoners,  the  furs  they 
had  taken  in  the  Huron  canoes,  and  also  letters  and 
papers  from  the  Jesuits  at  the  Huron  Mission  in 
the  Far  West. 

After  this  successful  raid,  the  vicinity  of  Ville 
Marie  was  more  than  ever  infested  by  the  blood- 
thirsty savages,  who  would  hide,  singly  or  in  large 


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parties,  waiting  for  their  prey.  In  the  latter  case, 
they  would  send  out  a  few  men  to  try  to  allure  the 
French  to  attack  them.  But  Maisonneuve  was  a 
very  prudent  commandant.  He  knew  that  the  wisest 
plan  for  his  small  band  was  to  keep  within  the  shelter 
of  their  fortifications,  and  that  a  single  defeat  would 
mean  ruin  to  the  whole  settlement.  So,  although 
his  men  often  murmured  at  being  kept  in  forced 
inaction,  he  maintained  this  wise  policy,  until  an* 
occasion  arose  when  he  thought  it  best  to  act  differ- 
ently, and  by  one  brilliant  exploit  he  silenced  the 
complaints  of  his  men  and  inspired  the  whole  party 
with  renewed  courage. 

The  settlement  had  received  from  France  a  wel- 
come reinforcement  in  a  present  of  a  number  of 
watch-dogs,  whose  sagacity  and  courage  made  them 
mo.st  valuable  scouts  and  sentinels.  Chief  among 
them  was  one  called  Pilot,  who  not  only  herself 
daily  went  the  round  of  the  woods  and  fields  near 
the  fort,  but  brought  up  her  numerous  family  to 
follow  her  example.  If  one  of  the  puppies  seemed 
unwilling  to  follow  her  in  her  rounds,  she  would  bite 
it  to  stimulate  its  zeal,  and  when  any  one  was  so 
cowardly  as  to  run  home,  it  received  a  similar  pun- 
ishment on  her  return.  As  soon  as  she  scented  an 
Iroquois  she  would  bark  furiously  and  run  back  to 
the  fort  followed  by  her  family.  But  when  there 
were  no  Indians  near,  she  much  preferred  to  amuse 
herself  by  hunting  squirrels. 

One  March  morning  in  1644,  Pilot  and  her  family 
were  seen  rushing  toward  the  fort  over  the  eastward 
clearing,  all  barking  furiously.  The  soldiers  crowded 
about  their  commander,  asking  if  they  were  never  to 


;  i 


VILLE  MARIE  DE  MONTREAL, 


157 


go  out  to  meet  this  invisible  enemy.  Maisonneuve 
answered  promptly  that  he  would  lead  them  out  him- 
self, and  would  see  if  they  were  as  brave  as  they 
professed  to  be. 

Quickly  the  little  band  was  put  in  battle  array. 
Guns  were  shouldered,  and  all  the  available  snow- 
shoes  were  tied  on,  though  of  these  there  were  not 
nearly  enough  for  all.  At  the  head  of  his  troops  of 
thirty  men,  Maisonneuve  crossed  the  clearing,  still 
covered  with  deep  snow,  and  entered  the  forest  be- 
yond, where  for  some  time,  they  saw  no  sign  of 
human  presence.  But  after  wading  for  a  good  way 
through  the  deep  snow,  they  were  suddenly  saluted 
with  a  shower  of  arrows  and  bullets  from  some  eighty 
Iroquois  springing  from  their  ambush 

Maisonneuve  ordered  his  men  to  take  shelter  be- 
hind trees  and  fire  at  the  enemy.  For  a  time,  they 
stood  their  ground,  though  three  of  their  men  were 
killed  and  several  wounded.  But  their  ammunition 
began  to  fail,  while  the  Iroquois  still  pressed  them 
close  with  a  galling  fire  which  broke  the  steadiness 
of  the  men  and  made  them  anxious  to  retreat. 
Maisonneuve  directed  them  to  follow  a  sledge-track, 
used  for  drawing  timber  to  the  fort  which  afforded 
firm  footing,  he  himself  remaining  to  protect  the 
rear  and  help  the  wounded  to  escape.  The  men 
covered  their  retreat  by  turning  frequently  to  fire, 
but  when  they  reached  the  sledge-track,  they  made 
such  a  wild  rush  to  the  fort  that  they  were  mistaken 
there  for  the  enemy,  and,  but  for  an  accident  — 
dampness  in  the  priming  of  the  gun  that  commanded 
the  sledge-track — they  would  have  received  a  fatal 
fire  from  their  own  friends. 


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Maisonneuve  gallantly  stood  his  ground  to  the 
last,  retreating  backward  with  a  pistol  in  each  hand, 
with  which  he  kept  back  his  pursuers.  The  Indians 
were  anxious  to  take  him  alive,  and  therefore  would 
not  shoot  him.  The  chief  wished  to  have  himself 
the  honor  of  capturing  the  French  commander,  and 
was  in  the  act  of  seizing  him,  when  Maisonneuve 
shot  him  dead.  This  caused  such  a  confusion  among 
the  Iroquois,  who  rushed  to  secure  the  dead  body  of 
their  chief,  that  Maisonneuve  made  good  his  retreat 
during  the  excitement,  and  was  soon  safe  in  the 
shelter  of  the  fort.  Thenceforward  his  men  recog- 
nized him  as  a  hero,  and  the  wisdom  of  his  general- 
ship was  unquestioned.  And  for  some  time,  at  least, 
Ville  Marie  enjoyed  comparative  peace.  The  scene 
of  this  brilliant  action  of  Maisonneuve  is  believed  to 
have  been  what  is  now  the  Place  d^Armes,  close  to 
the  great  Church  of  Notre  Dame. 

In  the  following  July,  the  harassing  attacks  of  the 
Iroquois  on  the  colony  were  for  a  time  suspended,  a 
treaty  of  peace  having  been  ratified  with  much  speech - 
making  and  many  gifts  of  wampum-belts  between  the 
French  and  the  Iroquois.  These,  however,  were  un  • 
fortunately  represented  only  by  the  Mohawks  out  of 
the  Five  Nations  who  composed  the  tribe  ;  while 
the  Onondagas,  Senecas,  Cayugas  and  Oneidas  had 
really  no  voice  in  it.  But  as  it  was  the  Mohawk 
nation  that  was  the  chief  agent  in  harassing  the  set- 
tlers of  New  France,  this  treaty  of  peace  was  hailed 
with  great  joy  and  thanksgiving,  though  not  without 
misgiving  as  to  the  length  of  its  continuance.  These 
fears  were  realized  before  much  more  than  a  year 
had  passed  by  the  outbreak  of  hostility  in  the  Bear 


VILLE  MARIE  DE  MONTREAL. 


»59 


Tribe  of  the  Mohawks,  to  which  the  brave  Isaac 
Jogues  fell  a  victim.  Once  more  Ville  Marie,  or 
Montreal,  as  it  began  to  be  more  usually  called,  from 
the  Royal  Mountain,  at  whose  base  it  stood,  was 
beset  like  thf»  other  settlements  by  murderous 
bands,  and  raids  and  massacres  kept  the  colonists  in 
misery  and  terror.  Many  a  French  or  Indian  fugi- 
tive found  refuge  at  Montreal,  and  some  of  them  had 
remarkable  escapes  to  relate.  Some  of  the  women 
in  particular  were  heroines  of  wonderful  adventures. 

In  the  year  1645,  an  important  change  had  taken 
place  in  the  government  of  New  France.  The  Com- 
pany of  the  Hundred  Associates  made  over  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  colony  their  monopoly  of  the  fur- 
trade  and  all  their  debts,  retaining  all seignioral rights 
and  an  annual  tribute  of  a  thousand  pounds  of  beaver 
fur.  The  colonists  became  a  corporation,  assuming 
all  the  obligations  of  defense,  of  meeting  the  expenses 
of  government,  of  encouraging  emigration,  and  sup- 
porting the  Missions.  No  one  could  trade  on  his 
own  account  unless  he  sold  his  furs  at  a  fixed  price, 
to  the  magazine  of  the  colony. 

In  1657  a  council  for  the  government  of  the  colony 
was  formed,  consisting  of  the  Governor-general,  the 
Superior  of  the  Jesuits  and  the  Governor  of  Montreal ; 
and  possessing  absolute  powers,  legislative,  executive 
and  judicial.  M.  de  Montmagny  was  removed  about 
this  time,  and  as  Maisonneuve  declined  the  post, 
M  D'Aillebout  was  appointed  to  it.  The  council 
was  then  reorganized,  being  composed  of  the  Gov 
ernor,  the  Jesuit  Superior  and  three  of  the  principal 
inhabitants,  chosen  every  three  years  by  the  coun- 
cil, along  with  the  syndics  of  Quebec,  Montreal  and 


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Three  Rivers.  There  were  as  yet  only  about  two 
thousand  colonists  in  the  whole  of  New  France. 
Montreal  had  not  grown  fast.  Danversiere  was  ill 
and  bankrupt,  and  of  the  forty-five  associates  only 
nine  were  left.  But  Maisonneuve  and  Mademoiselle 
Mance  still  continued  active  and  enthusiastic,  believ- 
ing heartily  in  the  future  of  Ville  Marie,  or  Montreal. 

But  there  were  still  many* dark  days  and  bloody 
struggles  in  store  for  the  little  settlement.  The 
ravages  of  the  Iroquois  continued  to  increase  in 
severity,  as  the  ill-fated  Huron  nation  sank  exhausted 
beneath  their  power,  and  left  them  free  to  concen- 
trate all  their  e-Torts  on  the  P'rench. 

In  1653  Montreal,  with  the  rest  of  the  colony,  was 
in  a  state  of  intense  anxiety,  devoting  itself  to  fasting, 
penance  and  prayers  for  deliverance.  Even  under 
the  walls  of  F'ort  St.  Louis,  there  seemed  no  safety 
from  the  murderous  attacks.  Montreal,  the  most 
dangerous  outpost  of  all,  was  held  by  only  fifty 
Frenchmen,  in  the  face  of  a  wilderness  swarming 
wich  the  foe.  A  sudden  attack  of  some  two  hundred 
Iroquois  on  twenty-six  Frenchmen  was,  as  it  seemed, 
miraculously  repulsed  with  a  bloody  defeat.  In  the 
following  June  an  unlooked-for  event  happened.  A 
deputation  of  the  Onondaga  Iroquois  came  to  beg 
for  a  treaty  of  peace,  the  secret  of  this  sudden  change 
being  that  they  had  begun  hostilities  with  their 
neighbors  the  Eries,  and  desired  to  have  "  only  one 
war  at  a  time."  When  the  peace  was  ratified,  the 
Onondagas  begged  that  a  Mission  might  be  estab- 
lished among  them.,  and  the  people  they  had  so  lately 
been  persecuting  could  not  refuse  their  prayer. 
Father  Le  Moyne,  one  of  the  former  missfonaries  to 


VILLE   MARIE   DE  MONTREAL. 


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the  Hurons,  started  from  Montreal  in  1654,  to  found 
a  Mission  at  Lake  Onondaga.  But  heroically  as  it 
was  undertaken,  it  had  been  asked  for  only  to  further 
the  crafty  designs  of  the  Iroquois  for  the  ruin  of  the 
Hurons,  and  it  had  to  be  at  last  relinquished  as  a 
miserable  failure. 

Mademoiselle  Mance  met  with  more  success  in 
her  work.  The  bloody  encounters  with  the  Iroquois 
soon  filled  her  hospital  wards  with  patients.  Mar- 
guerite Bourgeoys,  a  devoted  maiden  of  Troyes  in 
France,  renounced  an  inheritance  and  came  out  to 
take  up  the  work  of  teaching  the  children,  beginning 
her  school  in  a  stable,  while  she  lodged  with  her 
pupils  in  the  loft  above.  But  as  there  was  great 
need  of  money  to  carry  on  the  work,  Mademoiselle 
Mance  and  Marguerite  Bourgeoys  visited  France  in 
1658,  to  excite  interest  and  solicit  contributions  to 
the  Mission. 

With  the  aid  cf  the  Sulpitians,  though  D'Oiier 
was  now  dead,  they  succeeded  in  securing  both 
money  and  new  laborers,  while  a  large  body  of 
emigrants  accompanied  them  on  their  return  to 
Montreal,  which  had  some  fifty  houses  compactly 
built  on  what  is  now  St.  Paul  Street,  protected  by  a 
fort  and  j.  stone  windmill,  pierced  with  loopholes  for 
musketry.  The  hospital  and  Mission  school  pros- 
pered under  t!ie  indefatigable  efforts  of  the  relig- 
ieuses,  who  had  not  only  poverty  and  hardship  to 
contend  with,  but  soon  had  to  suffer  again  from  the 
terrors  of  Iroquois  raids.  For  the  peace  was  of  short 
continuance,  and  again  the  attacks  of  the  savages 
kept  up  a  reign  of  terror  in  the  harassed  colony. 
Montreal    Wa3    fortified    by    log    redoubts    scattered 


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r/ZZ£  MARIE  DE   MONTREAL, 


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along  the  edge  of  the  settlement,  and  a  religious 
fraternity  was  founded  among  the  inhabitants,  to 
rally  them  to  the  defense,  in  what  was  regarded  as 
a  Holy  War.  But  the  outlook  for  Montreal  as  for 
the  colony,  was  just  at  the  darkest  point  when  both 
were  saved  by  a  gallant  feat  of  arms,  which  will  be ' 
narrated  in  another  story.  It  was  as  heroic  as  that 
of  the  Greeks  at  Thermopylae,  and  like  it  saved  the 
country  for  the  time  by  the  voluntary  self-sacrifice  of 
a  few  devoted  men. 


I,  »' 


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CHAPTER   I. 


A   CANADIAN   THERMOPYLiE. 


';i"l 


xi! 


DURING  the  latter  part  of  the  winter  of  1660, 
the  little  settlement  of  Montreal  was  kept  in 
perpetual  excitement  by  alarming  rumors  of  the  war- 
like designs  of  the  Iroquois.  Hunters,  trappers  and 
friendly  Indians  were  all  agreed  as  to  the  vast  num- 
bers of  these  irrepressible  savages,  who  were  winter- 
ing in  Canada,  far  from  their  own  villages  to  the 
north  of  Lake  Ontario,  in  order  to  be  ready  for  their 
murderous  and  plundering  descent  just  as  soon  as 
the  French  should  begin  to  break  up  the  soil  and 
sow  their  spring  crops. 

These  reports  greatly  disheartened  even  the  most 
sanguine  of  the  colonists,  and  they  feared  lest  the 
colony  should  be  completely  swept  away.  While  so 
many  hearts  were  trembling  with  fear,  there  was  one 
young  man  in  Montreal  whose  breast  burned  with 
the  warrior's  delight  at  hearing  these  rumors,  greatly 
exaggerated  as  they  often  were.  This  young  man 
was  Adam  Daulac,  Sieur  des  Ormeaux.  Though  but 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  he  had  already  seen  a  good 
deal  of  service ;  but,  while  a  soldier  in  Old  France, 
he  had  in  some  way  stained  his  character,  and  was 
longing  to  wipe  out  the  siain  b  some  heroic  deed. 
He  felt  that  now  was  the  time  for  action.  For  years 
the  French  had   suffered  from   the  inroads  of   the 

16s 


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"  ! 


1 66 


A    CANADIAN  THERMOPYLAE. 


Iroquois,  but  had  never  yet  gone  out  to  meet  their 
savage  foes,  satisfying  themselves  with  repulsing 
them  from  behind  their  stone  walls,  or  palisaded  log- 
built  forts  and  block-houses. 

Daulac  determined  to  try  a  new  plan.  He  would 
not  wait  for  the  savages  till  their  war-whoop  should 
be  heard  around  the  dwellings  of  his  countrymen,  but 
with  as  many  choice  spirits  as  he  could  rally  together, 
willing  to  risk  all,  he  would  go  forth  to  battle  with 
the  Iroquois.  Having  obtained  leave  from  the  gov- 
ernor Maisonneuve  to  collect  such  a  party  of  volun- 
teers he  at  once  went  to  work,  and  his  energy  and 
enthusiasm  had  soon  attracted  to  his  leadership  six- 
teen brave  comrades  ready  to  follow  wherever  he 
should  lead. 

Nearly  all  of  these  had  lately  arrived  from  France, 
and  had  been  much  disappointed  in  Canada.  The 
continuous  confinement  in  the  walled  towns,  the  per- 
petual dread  of  the  savages  and  the  extremes  of  heat 
and  cold  were  trials  they  had  not  taken  into  account. 
They  would  willingly  have  braved  any  hardship  in 
active  warfare  ;  out  to  have  to  do  this  without  any 
chance  of  heroic  action  was  intolerable.  They  eagerly 
seized,  therefore,  Daulac's  idea  of  going  out  boldly 
to  the  fray,  with  the  chance  of  distinguishing  them- 
selves in  the  service  of  their  country.  They  were 
fully  aware  of  the  terrible  risk  they  ran  in  g'-ing 
forth  so  few  in  number  to  meet  the  Indian  hordes  ; 
as  they  showed  by  carefully  making  their  wills  before 
setting  out  for  the  desperate  expedition. 

The  inhabitants  of  Montreal  looked  upon  them  as 
a  band  of  heroes  ;  and  on  a  bright  morning  in  early 
spring,  just   ds  the    snow   was   melting  down   from 


A    CANADIAN  THERMOPYLM. 


167 


^! 


Mont  Royal,  and  the  swollen  river  was  spreading 
over  the  surrounding  country,  the  people  flocked  in 
crowds  to  the  chapel  of  the  Hotel  Dieu,  to  see  them 
make  what  would  probably  be  their  last  confession, 
and  receive  the  last  Sacraments.  They  were  indeed 
a  gallant  young  band,  but  three  of  them  having 
reached  the  age  of  thirty  years.  It  seemed  hard  that 
their  opening  lives  should  have  to  be  thus  sacrificed 
to  the  general  good. 

Everywhere  throughout  the  chapel  weeping,  tear- 
stained  eyes  looked  upon  the  little  group  of  manly 
figures,  their  faces  lighted  with  a  spirit  of  heroic 
exaltation.  Some  of  the  elder  warriors  caught  their 
ardor,  and  begged  them  to  wait  until  the  spring  crops 
were  sown,  in  order  that  they  too  might  go.  But 
Daulac  refused  to  listen  to  such  entreaties,  urging 
that  the  sooner  they  hurried  to  the  encounter  the 
better,  since  each  day's  delay  only  gave  the  Iroquois 
more  time  to  strengthen  their  forces  and  bring  them 
nearer  the  settlements.  He  was,  in  reality,  anxious 
to  go  forth  with  the  few  he  had  collected.  He  had 
no  wish  for  the  presence  of  any  of  the  older  men,  as 
in  that  case  he  could  not  be  commander  of  the  party, 
and  this  was  his  enterprise.  It  was  his  cherished 
desire,  not  only  to  protect  the  settlers  at  Montreal, 
but,  above  all,  to  do  some  heroic  deed  that  would 
forever  clear  away  the  stain  from  his  name. 

Having  secured  an  abundant  supply  of  arms  and 
ammunition  for  the  undertaking,  and  a  quantity  of 
hominy  or  crushed  corn  for  food,  they  took  a  solemn 
and  tender  farewell  of  their  friends,  who  inwardly 
felt  that  they  should  never  again  look  upon  their 
brave  defenders.     The  seventeen   youths  embarked 


'A\ 


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-ft 


1 68 


A    CANADIAN  THERMOPYL/E. 


ill 


I  i 


in  several  large  canoes,  and  began  their  arduous 
journey.  They  had  had  but  little  experience  in  the 
management  of  these  frail  barks,  and  so  found  the 
work  of  paddling  no  easy  matter.  A  week  was  spent 
in  attempts  to  pass  the  swift  waters  of  Sainte 
Anne,  at  the  head  of  Montreal  island.  However, 
their  strenuous  efforts  were  at  last  rewarded  with 
success,  and  the  hard-won  experience  better  enabled 
them  to  bend  the  paddle  up  the  difficult  Ottawa. 
Swiftly  they  toiled  across  the  Lake  of  the  Two 
Mountains  and  up  the  river,  until  the  fierce  current 
at  Carillon  was  reached.  Here  they  took  a  brief 
rest  and  then  began  the  heavy  labor  of  poling  and 
hauling  their  canoes  up  the  rapid  torrent. 

After  much  severe  toil  they  succeeded  in  passing 
the  rapid,  and  then  quietly  paddled  along  till  they 
heard  the  roar  of  the  foaming  "  Long  Saut."  * 
These  rapids,  in  which  Champlain  on  his  first  voyage 
up  the  Ottawa  almost  lost  his  life,  were  much  more 
difficult  to  pass  than  those  either  of  Sainte  Anne  or 
Carillon.  As  they  gazed  at  the  furious  waters  boiling 
and  seething  around  bowl  iers  and  sunken  rocks,  they 
decided  that  it  would  not  be  possible  for  them  to 
ascend  them.  They  kr.ew  that  a  large  party  of  the 
Iroquois  were  encamped  on  the  Upper  Ottawa,  and 
that  they  would  have  to  shoot  the  rapids  on  their 
way  down  ;  and  they  thus  thought  it  best  to  wait 
and  give  them  a  hot  reception  as  soon  as  their  canoes 
appeared.  While  debating  this  matter,  they  saw 
just  at  the  foot  of  the  rapid  a  partially  cleared  spot 
in  the  midst  of  which  was  a  hastily  erected  palisaded 

•  This  "  Long  Saut "  on  the  Ottawa  is  an  entirely  distinct  rapid  from  the  "  Long 
.Sault  "  on  the  St.  Lawrence. 


A   CANADIAN   THERMOPYL^. 


1O9 


fort.     An  Algonquin  war  party  had  hurriedly  thrown 
it  up  in  the  previous  autumn. 

Worn  out  as  they  were,  the  Frenchmen  gladly 
took  possession  of  it  at  once.  After  unloading  their 
canoes  and  hauling  them  up  on  the  shore,  they 
stored  their  provisions  and  ammunition  in  the  fort. 
They  were  so  fatigued  with  the  journey  that  they 
did  not  set  to  work  to  repair  the  fort,  much  dilapi- 
dated by  the  winter's  storms.  Having  slung  their 
kettles  by  the  shore,  and  partaken  of  a  hearty  meal, 
they  wrapped  themselves  in  their  blankets  and  laid 
themselves  down  for  a  much-needed  rest,  determining 
to  remain  in  this  fort  and  await  the  enemy. 

Soon  after  Daulac  and  his  men  had  left  Montreal, 
two  roving  bands  of  Indians,  the  one  an  Algonquin 
party  of  four,  under  a  chief  named  Mituvemeg,  the 
other  a  Huron  party  of  forty  led  by  the  famous  brave 
Etienne  Annahotaha,  came  to  the  settlement  seeking 
employment.  When  they  heard  of  Daulac's  expedi- 
tion they  expressed  a  strong  desire  to  join  him  and  help 
him  to  crush  the  common  enemy  —  the  Iroquois.  The 
governor  was  doubtful  about  accepting  the  offered 
alliance.  He  could  trust  the  Algonquins  ;  but  since 
the  destruction  of  the  Huron  nation  many  of  the 
subdued  race  had  gone  over  and  been  adopted  by  the 
Iroquois.  He  feared,  therefore,  that  should  they  see 
their  old  comrades  among  the  foe  they  might  be 
tempted  to  desert  the  French.  But  Etienne  Anna- 
hotaha, whose  courage  and  loyalty  to  the  French  cause 
none  could  doubt,  was  so  urgent  in  his  solicitations 
to  be  permitted  to  help  the  brave  champions  of  the 
settlement  that  Maisonneuve  at  length  consented  to 
give  him  a  letter  to  Daulac.     This  chief  was  an  emi- 


:M 


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A    CANADIAN  THERMOPYLAE. 


'I! 
'i' 


Ml 

ii! 


nently  brave  and  wily  Indian,  who  had  been  nurtured 
and  trained  in  the  wars  that  had  swept  his  nation 
out  of  existence  ;  and  had  there  been  many  such  as 
he  among  the  Hurons,  the  Iroquois  could  never  have 
subdued  them  so  easily  as  they  did.  From  boyhood 
he  had  fought  in  a  succession  of  battles,  and  no  bet- 
ter shot  or  bolder  boatman  could  be  found  in  the 
American  forest  or  on  the  bounding  streams.  Be- 
sides being  strong  and  courageous  he  was  diplomatic 
also ;  and  but  a  short  time  before  this  he  had  gained 
a  signal  victory  over  the  Iroquois  on  the  Isle  St. 
Joseph  near  Lake  Huron,  through  the  wary  shrewd- 
ness that  characterized  him. 

The  Iroquois  had  attacked  a  party  of  Indians  led 
by  Etienne,  as  they  were  attempting  to  go  from  Isle  St. 
Joseph  to  the  mainland.  Etienne  at  once  rallied  his 
men  to  meet  them,  when  the  Iroquois  surprised  him 
by  approaching  him  as  friends.  Suspecting  a  plot 
on  their  part,  he  determined  to  play  their  own  game. 
They  proposed  that  now  since  the  Hurons  had  be- 
come only  the  remnant  of  a  nation  they  should  accom- 
pany the  Iroquois  to  their  country  and  be  adopted 
into  the  Five  Nations.  Etienne  inwardly  smiled  at 
this  proposal,  but  with  apparently  the  greatest  de- 
light, expressed  his  readiness  to  accept  it.  He,  how- 
ever, added  that  he  was  but  a  young  and  inexperienced 
brave,  while  in  the  wigwams  of  his  people  were  old 
and  wise  heads,  and  lo  these  they  should  go  with 
their  terms.  He  requested  them  to  keep  him  as  a 
hostage  and  to  send  over  his  comrades  with  some  of 
their  own  wisest  men  for  the  purpose  of  negotiation. 
Thinking  he  would  make  a  particularly  good  ambassa- 
dor, the  Iroquois  begged  him  to  go  with  the  embassay. 


A 


A   CANADIAN  THERMOPYL^. 


i7» 


This  was  just  what  he  wanted,  and  with  three  of 
their  chief  men,  he  eagerly  crossed  to  the  camp  of 
his  friends.  He  acted  his  part  so  well  that  even  his 
own  people  were  deceived  and  began  hasty  prepara- 
tions to  unite  with  their  former  foes.  The  ambas- 
sadors of  the  Iroquois  were  feasted  and  praised 
without  ceasing.  In  the  meantime,  Etienne  man- 
aged to  say  a  few  words  to  some  of  the  older  chiefs, 
revealing  his  suspicion  that  the  Iroquois  only  wanted 
a  good  opportunity  to  make  a  wholesale  slaughter  of 
the  Hurons ;  and,  unfolding  his  plan  so  to  deceive 
them  that  they  themselves  might  be  surprised  and 
foiled.  So  well  did  he  succeed  that  the  bravest  among 
the  Iroquois  soon  came  over  to  the  village  in  great 
numbers  and  freely  mingled  with  the  Hurons.  Sud- 
denly the  signal  of  attack  was  given,  the  war-whoop 
raised,  and  in  a  few  minutes  every  Iroquois  in  the 
Huron  village  was  slain. 

Etienne,  although  brave  and  wily,  had  a  true  heart, 
as  was  shown  on  this  occasion.  Among  the  Iroquois 
were  three  who  had  been  the  means  of  saving  his 
life  just  a  year  before,  and  he  managed  to  secure 
their  escape  before  the  slaughter  began.  They 
warned  their  comrades  on  the  mainland  and  all,  terror- 
stricken,  hurriedly  fled  homewards.  That  Etienne 
was  not  mistaken  in  his  conjecture  as  to  the  inten- 
tions of  the  Iroquois  was  proved  by  the  confession  of 
one  of  them  just  before  his  death.  It  is  not  strange 
that  Maisonneuve  should  have  been  persuaded  to  let 
such  a  leader  take  his  band  to  the  assistance  of 
Daulac. 

These  Hurons  and  Algonquins,  knowing  that  al- 
ready the  Iroquois  must  be  on  their  way  down  the 


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A   CANADIAN  THERMOPYLAE. 


Ottawa,  eagerly  bent  their  ashen  paddles  and  were 
soon  within  sight  of  the  little  fort  at  the  foot  of  the 
"  Long  Saut."  Daulac  was  much  pleased  with  this 
reinforcement,  and  the  hopes  of  the  whole  party  were 
greatly  raised.  Scouts  were  now  constantly  sent  out 
to  give  them  timely  warning  of  the  approach  of  the 
foe.  From  time  to  time,  tidings  of  their  movements 
were  brought  in,  and  early  one  morning  several  scouts 
of  Etienne's  band  rushed  into  camp  with  the  news 
that  two  canoes  were  speeding  down  the  rapids. 
Daulac  hastily  concealed  a  few  of  his  men  near  the 
shore,  where  he  thought  the  Iroquois  would  land  to 
rest  after  such  exhausting  labors  ;  giving  then  orders 
to  be  ready  to  fire  on  them,  and  if  possible  allow 
none  to  escape. 

The  ambushed  party  waited  patiently  for  their 
victims  who  were  not  long  in  appearing,  their  canoes 
bounding  down  the  .seething  waters.  Daulac  had 
chosen  the  spot  for  ambush  well,  for  the  Iroquois 
turned  their  canoes  to  the  shore  just  at  the  point 
where  he  expected  them.  As  they  were  about  to 
land,  Daulac's  men  fired  a  too  hasty  volley  and  some 
of  the  Indians  escaped  to  the  forest  before  the 
Frenchmen  had  time  to  pursue  them  or  to  re-load 
their  guns.  The  escaped  Indians  rushed  up  the 
Ottawa  to  warn  their  companions.  Burning  for  re- 
venge, the  whole  party  straightway  broke  up  camp^ 
launched  their  canoes,  and  paddled  swiftly  towards 
the  "  Long  Saut." 

The  French,  with  their  Indian  allies,  after  this 
attack  set  to  work  to  prepare  their  morning  meal, 
when  suddenly  they  were  interrupted  by  the  news 
that  a  fleet  of  almost  one  hundred  canoes  was  already 


A  CANADIAN  THERMOPYLj^. 


173 


on  its  way  down  the  Saut.  Scarcely  had  the  alarm 
been  given  when  the  foremost  boats  were  seen  in  the 
distance.  For  a  moment  they  all  stood  watching  the 
canoes  as  they  came  skimming,  dancing,  shooting 
down  the  curbulent  waters,  now  swiftly  gliding  over 
some  calm  stretch,  then  rushing  with  race-horse 
speed  towards  a  bowlder,  only  to  be  turned  aside  at 
the  right  moment  by  the  skillful  paddle  of  the  steers- 
man ;  again  plunging  down  some  little  waterfall  and 
sending  the  spray  about  their  prows  like  the  foam  on 
the  mouth  of  a  spirited  charger. 

As  soon  as  they  began  to  reach  the  smooth  water 
at  the  foot  of  the  rapids,  the  keen-eyed  and  anxious 
watchers  left  their  kettles  and  dishes  on  the  shore,  and 
rushed  into  the  fort  to  prepare  for  the  onset.  The 
Iroquois  on  landing  saw  their  slain  comrades,  and, 
maddened  with  rage,  charged  upon  the  fort,  but  were 
driven  back  with  considerable  loss.  They  then  en- 
deavored to  induce  Daulac  to  surrender,  holding  out 
favorable  terms,  but  he  only  derided  their  demands. 
Before  renewing  the  assault,  they  built  a  fort  in 
the  forest,  to  which  they  might  retreat  in  case  of  a 
second  repulse.  While  thus  engaged  the  French 
party  was  not  idle.  Some  busily  plied  their  axes  in 
cutting  down  small  trees  and  erecting  a  double  row 
of  palisades.  Others  worked  diligently  with  the  pick 
and  shovel,  filling  up  the  space  between  the  two 
rows  with  earth,  high  enough  to  protect  a  man  stand- 
ing upright.  In  the  earthwork  were  left  twenty 
'  loopholes  large  enough  to  allow  three  marksmen  to 
use  their  muskets  to  advantage  at  each.  Just  as 
they  were  throwing  the  last  shovelful  of  earth 
between  the  palisades,  they  were  called  to  arms  by 


w 


mummtm 


,:J  ^  ■! 


t<!: 


»74 


A  CANADIAN  THERMOPYLj^. 


the  savage  yells  of  the  Iroquois,  who  had  completed 
their  fort,  and  were  returning  to  the  attack.  This 
time  they  were  trying  a  new  plan.  They  had  broken 
up  the  canoes  of  the  besieged,  and,  setting  fire  to 
the  pieces  of  bark,  rushed  forward  at  full  speed  with 
these  blazing  torches,  endeavoring  to  throw  them 
against  the  palisades,  and  burn  out  their  foes.  But 
the  muskets  of  the  fort  kept  up  an  incessant  fire,  and 
torch-bearer  after  torch-bearer  fell.  Still  their  com- 
rades pressed  on,  but  the  hot,  close  fire  was  too 
much  for  them,  and  they  hurriedly  retreated,  leaving 
behind  them  many  dead  and  wounded. 

After  a  brief  rest  they  renewed  the  attack,  ably 
led  by  a  daring  Seneca  chief,  whose  spirit  so  in- 
spired his  men  that  they  seemed  likely  to  reach  the 
palisades.  But  a  bullet  struck  the  leader,  and  his 
followers  fled.  Several  of  the  young  Frenchmen, 
desiring  to  show  their  courage,  and  strike  terror  into 
the  hearts  of  the  Iroquois,  volunteered  to  go  out  and 
bring  in  the  head  of  the  fallen  chief.  Their  com- 
rades stood  by  the  loopholes,  and  every  time  an 
Indian  showed  himself,  poured  a  volley  in  that  di- 
rection. Protected  by  this  heavy  fire,  they  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  dead  chief,  cutting  off  his  head  and 
returning  to  the  fort  unhurt.  With  exulting  cheers 
they  set  the  head  up  on  the  most  prominent  part 
of  the  palisades,  right  in  the  face  of  the  enraged 
enemy.  This  filled  them  with  savage  determina- 
tion for  revenge.  Again  they  rushed  forward  to^ 
take  the  little  fort,  but  again  they  were  repulsed 
with  severe  loss.  After  this  third  repulse  they 
felt  that,  with  their  present  force,  it  would  be 
impossible  to  succeed. 


A   CANADIAN  THERMOPYL^. 


>7S 


This  band,  when  intercepted  by  Daulac  and  his 
men,  was  on  its  way  to  join  a  much  larger  party  of 
about  five  hundred  fellow  countrymen,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Richelieu.  The  two  combined  bands  were  to 
annihilate  the  French  colonists,  sweeping  Quebec, 
Three  Rivers  and  Montreal  out  of  existence. 

The  besiegers,  after  debating  what  would  be  the 
best  course  to  follow,  decided  to  send  a  canoe  to  the 
five  hundred  warrion.  encamped  on  the  Richelieu,  to 
ask  them  to  come  at  once  and  help  them  to  crush 
the  band  intrenched  in  the  rude  little  fort.  After 
their  messengers  had  departed,  a  continuous  fire  was 
kept  up  by  the  Iroquois,  and  every  now  and  then 
they  feigned  a  rush  on  the  fort,  so  as  to  keep  the 
besieged  in  a  constant  state  of  anxiety,  and  weary 
them  out  with  toil  and  watching. 

The  Frenchmen,  in  the  meantime,  suffered  terribly 
from  hunger  and  thirst,  cold,  and  want  of  sleep. 
The  only  kind  of  food  they  had  was  hominy  —  poor 
fare  for  men  constantly  at  work.  In  their  hasty 
rush  from  the  shore  at  the  approach  of  the  canoes 
down  the  Saut,  they  had  failed  to  bring  any  of  their 
large  kettles,  or  any  supply  of  water,  and  as  there 
was  none  to  be  had  about  the  fort,  the  thirst  of 
the  whole  party  soon  became  almost  unbearable. 
Besides  it  was  quite  impossible  to  eat  the  dry  food 
alone  without  being  almost  choked  in  the  effort. 

In  despair  some  of  the  bravest  determined  to  dare 
the  fire  of  the  Iroquois,  in  order  to  bring  water  from 
the  river.  Collecting  all  their  small  vessels,  they 
boldly  sallied  forth,  under  cover  of  the  fire  of  the 
muskets  in  the  fort,  and  succeeded  in  bringing  in  a 
little  water  without  loss.     This  supply,  however,  was 


■Hi 


176 


A   CANADIAN  THERMOPYLAE. 


"■\  ij  ; 


soon  exhausted  ;  and  the  Iroquois,  who  had  not  an- 
ticipated this  rush  to  the  river,  had  now  posted  their 
men  in  such  a  position  that  it  was  impossible  to  re- 
peat the  attempt.  Unable  to  bear  the  thirst,  they 
went  eagerly  to  work,  and  dug  vigorously  until  their 
hearts  were  gladdened  by  the  sight  of  a  little  muddy 
water  welling  up  through  the  soil. 

They  had  another  great  misfortune  to  bear,  in  the 
desertion  of  all  the  Huron  allies,  excepting  Etienne 
Annahotaha.  When  the  Iroquois  had  conquered  the 
Huron  nation,  many  of  the  latter,  as  has  been  told, 
had  been  adopted  into  the  various  tribes  of  the  Fi^  2 
Nations.  Some  of  these  adopted  Hurons  were  with 
the  besiegers,  and  when  they  learned  that  many  of 
their  fellow  countrymen  were  with  the  French,  they 
held  out  offers  of  safety  to  these,  provided  that  they 
should  desert  to  the  ranks  of  the  Iroquois. 

The  poor  Hurons,  starved  and  suffering,  knowing 
that  sooner  or  later  they  must  perish  if  they  re- 
mained in  the  fort,  listened  to  the  voice  of  the  tempt- 
ers, and  at  every  fitting  opportunity  leaped  over  the 
palisades  and  fled  to  the  Iroquois,  who  received  them 
with  shouts  of  joy.  At  last  Annahotaha  and  the  four 
Algonquins  alone  remained  with  the  French.  Even 
Annahotaha's  nephew  —  La  Mouche  —  went  with  the 
rest.  This  desertion  greatly  weakened  the  hopes  of 
the  little  party,  now  reduced  from  sixty  to  twenty. 
Yet  when  the  Iroquois  again  called  on  them  to  sur- 
render, they  boldly  refused,  nothing  daunted,  and 
firm  in  their  intention  of  holding  out  to  the  death. 

About  noon  on  the  fifth  day  after  the  Iroquois  had 
sent  their  messengers  to  their  brothers  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Richelieu,  the  exulting  yells  of  savages  were 


A  CANADIAN  THEKMOPYLM, 


177 


heard  afar  off  in  the  forest.  They  came  nearer  and 
nearer,  until  all  the  woods  rang  with  the  demoniacal 
yells,  drowning  the  roar  of  the  turbulent  Saut.  The 
French  now  prepared  for  the  worst.  They  felt  that 
the  end  v /as  near,  but  they  would  not  die  without  a 
heroic  struggle. 

Five  hundred  warriors  were  now  added  to  the 
force  attacking  the  fort,  and  the  Iroquois  thought 
the  only  thing  to  be  considered  was  how  to  win  the 
victory  with  the  least  loss  of  life.  Calling  a  council, 
they  decided  to  advance  cautiously  at  first,  and  when 
near  the  palisades,  to  rush  forward  en  masse,  and 
burst  in  on  the  besieged.  They  advanced  accord- 
ingly, but  as  soon  as  any  one  showed  himself,  he  was 
met  with  a  volley.  At  last  the  whole  body  made  a 
rush  for  the  palisades,  but  the  French  were  prepared 
for  it,  and  made  such  havoc  in  their  ranks  that  they 
were  forced  to  fl**? 

The  F»*':.'.i  had  with  them  heavy  musketoons  — 
a  kind  oi  small  cannon  which  they  had  not  previously 
used,  but  had  kept  loaded  in  case  of  emergency  — 
and  the  scattering  fire  from  these  was  too  much  for 
the  Indians.  The  Hurons  had  told  the  Iroquois  of 
the  small  number  and  the  weakness  of  the  defenders 
of  the  fort,  but  this  repulse  made  them  doubt  their 
information.  Ominous  scowls  were  cast  at  the 
deserters,  who  began  to  feel  that,  unless  the  French 
were  soon  crushed,  they  might  expect  little  mercy 
at  the  hands  of  the  enraged  and  disappointed 
Iroquois. 

For  three  days  and  nights  a  constant  series  of 
attacks,  without  order  or  plan,  was  made  on  the  fort. 
Nothing  was  gained,  and  not  a  few  of  the  Indian 


178 


A   CANADIAN  THERMOPYUE. 


^ 


warriors  fell  before  the  unerring  aim  of  the  besieged. 
The  Iroquois  began  to  look  upon  these  as  aided  by 
the  Manitou,  and  many  wanted  to  give  up  the  seem- 
ingly useless  contest  and  return  to  their  lodges. 
But  all  their  bravest  warriors  cried  out  against  such 
a  course.  They  would  never  be  able  to  escape  the 
brand  of  cowardice  if  they  retreated  from  before  this 
handful  of  men  I  No ;  they  must  dare  all  rather  than 
give  up  the  siege.  A  council  was  called,  and  the 
bravest  among  them  made  soul-stirring  speeches, 
calling  on  their  brother  warriors  to  uphold  the  honor 
of  their  race. 

Loudest  among  those  bent  on  continuing  the  fight, 
were  the  Hurons  who  had  so  lately  deserted.  It  was 
their  only  chance  for  safety.  They  knew  that  the 
Iroquois  were  gloating  over  the  prospect  of  torturing 
the  men  so  gallantly  resisting  them,  and  that  if  they 
failed  to  get  these  into  their  powe.  *:^ev  would  satisfy 
their  appetite  for  blood  by  sacrificing  tnc* « elves. 

After  the  speeches  smau  sticks  were  tied  up  in 
bundles  and  thrown  on  the  ground,  and  each  one 
willing  to  risk  all,  and  join  in  a  determined  attack, 
showed  his  readiness  by  picking  up  a  bundle.  War- 
rior after  warrior  eagerly  stepped  forward  and  seized 
one,  while  grunts  of  approval  arose  from  the  throats 
of  their  companions.  Soon  nearly  all  were  enrolled, 
few  daring  to  keep  back  lest  they  should  be  regarded 
as  cowards. 

When  the  task  of  enlisting  volunteers  was  con^- 
pleted,  they  went  earnestly  to  work  to  plan  an  attack. 
All  their  previous  attempts  had  been  vain,  and  to 
take  the  fort  by  assault  would  cost  them  many  men  ; 
they  therefore  decided  to  remain  as  much  as  possl- 


A  CANADIAN  THEKMOPYLM. 


179 


ble  under  cover,  until  they  should  reach  the  palisades. 
How  to  do  this  puzzled  them  greatly.  At  last  an 
Indian,  more  ingenious  than  his  fellows,  proposed 
that  trees  be  cut  down  and  large  wooden  shields 
made,  behind  which  they  could  take  shelter  without 
much  danger  of  being  struck  by  the  bullets.  His 
suggestion  was  acted  upon,  and  busily  they  plied 
their  hatchets.  They  then  made  shields  by  binding 
three  or  four  short  logs  closely  together.  Soon  the 
many  hands  had  enough  ready  for  the  heroes  who 
were  to  lead  the  attack.  After  a  brief  rest,  the  order 
was  given  to  advance.  Slowly  but  surely  the  chosen 
ones  led  on  ;  while  protected  by  them  and  their 
shields,  the  rest  of  the  Iroquois  followed  closely 
behind. 

When  the  French  saw  this  peculiar,  fence-iike 
body  advance,  they  did  not  at  first  know  what  to 
make  of  it,  but  they  were  soon  roused  from  their  be- 
wilderment, and  began  a  rapid,  despairing  fire  on  the 
wooden  wall,  without  much  effect.  Occasionally  a 
shield-bearer  would  be  seen  to  fall,  but  the  place  of 
the  fallen  brave  was  quickly  filled  by  those  in  the 
rear.  They  did  not  waver  for  an  instant,  and  when 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  palisades  —  casting  their 
shields  from  them  —  they  leaped  forward,  hatchet  in 
hand,  and  began  hacking  and  tearing  the  palisades, 
to  force  their  way  into  the  fort. 

The  brave  little  garrison  felt  that  the  end  had 
come.  As  they  had  fought  like  heroes  they  were 
ready  to  die  like  heroes.  When  they  had  undertaken 
the  expedition,  they  had  determined  to  take  no 
quarter ;  now  they  knew  they  need  expect  none. 
Daulac   strengthened   them   by  actions  and  words. 


1 

II 

1 

i 
1 

^VR ' 

ml ,... 

ll 

nil 

I 

i!    ,i 


i8o 


A   CANADIAN  THERMOPYLAi. 


Eager  to  repulse  the  foe,  he  crammed  a  large  mus* 
ketoon  to  the  muzzle  with  powder  and  shot,  and  light- 
ing the  fuse,  attempted  to  throw  it  over  the  wall. 
It  struck  the  top  of  the  palisades,  and  fell  back  into 
the  fort,  bursting  as  it  struck  the  ground.  Some  of 
the  Frenchmen  were  blinded  and  wounded  by  the 
explosion,  and,  in  the  excitement,  left  the  loopholes. 
The  Indians,  taking  advantage  of  this,  began  to  fire 
upon  them  from  the  outside.  A  breach  was  soon  made 
through  the  wall,  and  eager  warriors  rushed  In,  but 
equally  determined  Frenchmen  met  them,  knife  and 
axe  in  hand.  Their  courage  had  excited  the  admira- 
tion of  the  savages,  and  they  were  anxious  to  take 
them  alive,  that  they  might  kill  them  by  slow  deaths. 
Orders  were  given  to  slay  none  if  possible.  Again 
and  again  the  Iroquois  crowded  into  the  gap,  but 
Daulac's  axe  and  knife  or  those  of  his  companions 
went  crashing  through  their  skulls  or  pierced  their 
breasts  till  a  great  heap  of  dead  lay  about  the  en- 
trance. At  last  Daulac  was  struck  down,  but  his 
men  took  his  place  and  kept  up  the  fight. 

Maddened  by  this  resistance,  and  dreading  lest  the 
tide  of  battle  might  yet  be  turned,  the  leaders  of  the 
Indians  gave  the  order  to  fire,  and  a  score  of  muskets 
carried  death  to  the  survivors  of  the  heroic  party. 
With  fiendish  yells  the  Iroquois  leaped  into  the  fort 
in  search  of  scalps.  Only  three  Frenchmen  had  any 
life  left,  and  these  were  at  once  burned  before  the 
heartless  crowd.  Longing  for  more  blood,  and  disap- 
pointed that  they  had  not  taken  any  prisoners,  they 
turned  for  revenge  upon  the  Huron  deserters ;  and 
some  of  them  were  put  to  death  at  the  stake,  with  the 
crudest  torture.     Others  they  reserved  for  a  like  fate. 


A   CANADIAN  TlfERMQPYLA^. 


i8i 


when  they  should  reach  their  villages.  Five  of  these 
escaped  on  the  route,  and  it  was  from  them  that  the 
details  of  this  tragedy  reached  the  ears  of  the  inhab- 
itants of  Montreal. 

For  some  weeks  before  this  fight,  Quebec,  too,  had 
been  kept  in  a  great  state  of  alarm  by  rumors  of 
the  Iroquois  invasion.  An  Indian,  a  friend  of  the 
Iroquois,  being  tortured  by  the  Algonquins,  at  Que- 
bec, told  the  Jesuits  of  the  intended  raid,  and  his 
tale  was  substantiated  by  another  party  of  Indians, 
meeting  a  like  fate.  There  could  be  no  doubt  about 
the  party  having  set  out  for  the  invasion  of  Canada, 
and,  for  a  time,  all  was  excitement.  However,  as 
nothing  further  was  heard  of  it,  quiet  returned  at 
last 

Then  came  the  tidings  of  the  gallant  fight  at  Long 
Saut,  and,  with  eyes  dimmed  with  tears,  the  French 
learned  the  fate  of  the  noble  band  that  had  so  freely 
given  their  lives  for  that  of  the  colony.  The  terrible 
lesson  they  gave  the  Iroquois  made  the  savage  iiosts 
march  homeward,  not  daring  to  face  a  people  that 
could  send  out  seventeen  men  so  brave  as  these. 

Montreal  mourned  her  heroes,  and  for  many  years 
the  name  of  the  young  leader,  Daulac,  was  held  in 
deserved  honor.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  stain 
that  had  rested  upon  his  name,  he  had  nobly  wiped 
it  out  at  last  with  his  life's  blood. 


f 


M 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE   STORY   OF  ROBERT   DE    LA   SALLE.* 

NEARLY  sixty  years  had  passed  away  since 
Champlain  had  founded  his  little  settlement 
at  the  foot  of  the  lonely  rock  of  Quebec,  and  had 
sought  from  thence  to  penetrate  to  the  interior  of 
the  new  continent  —  before  a  second  great  adven- 
turer and  explorer,  as  brave  and  determined  as  him- 
self, found  his  way  to  New  France.  In  these  sixty 
eventful  years,  as  we  have  seen,  the  little  colony  had 
struggled  nobly  against  fearful  odds,  and  New  France 
might  now  be  said  to  have  a  real,  individual  life  of 
its  own. 

The  promontory  of  Quebec  was  by  this  time 
crowned  by  the  chAteau  of  St.  Louis,  surrounded  by 
forts,  church,  convents  and  seminary ;  while  on  the 
beach  below  clustered  thickly  the  shingled  roofs  of 
merchants  and  tradesmen.  Horses  had  been  brought 
over  for  its  traffic,  and  several  hundred  sail  anchored 
every  year  in  its  harbor,  while  the  mineral  riches  of 
the  region  and  the  fisheries  of  the  river  had  been 
somewhat  developed  under  the  care  of  the  energetic 
Intendant,  Talon,  a  new  officer  in  the  colony. 
Three  Rivers  was  a  fur-trading  hamlet,  inclosed  by 
a  square  palisade.  A  chain  of  clearings  and  houses 
extended  most  of  the  way  from  Quebec  to  Montreal, 
where  the  fortified  wind-mill  looked  down  on  the 

*  By  the  author  of  the  First  Series,  but  placed  here  un  account  of  chronological 
continuity. 

i8a 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


183 


compact  row  of  wooden  houses  along  the  shore,  the 
Hotel  Dieu,  and  the  rough  stone  buildings  of  the 
Seminary  of  St.  Sulpice.  Beyond  Montreal,  the  oc- 
casional clearings  soon  ceased,  lost  in  the  mighty 
forests  that  reigned  still  unbroken  to  the  east  of  the 
present  Province  of  Quebec.  Louis  the  Fourteenth, 
appropriately  styled,  "the  Magnificent,"  had  been 
now  reigning  for  thirty  years,  and  his  "  paternal  gov- 
ernment **  had  been  directing  emigration  to  the 
colony  and  forcing  on  its  progress  with  artificial 
rapidity. 

Another  great  change  had  taken  place  during 
these  sixty  years.  New  England  had  sprung  up  by 
the  side  of  New  France,  and  had  been  growing  for 
half  a  century  into  a  powerful  and,  as  it  proved,  a 
dangerous  neighbor.  Boston  and  Manhattan  (now 
New  York)  were  as  yet  little  more  than  villages  ;  but 
they  were  villages  growing  up  with  strong  Puritan 
vigor  and  vitality. 

There  had  been  an  unusually  long  respite  from 
harassing  raids  of  the  Iroquois,  the  scourge  of 
New  France  and  the  great  drag  on  her  progress. 
But  no  one  could  depend  on  the  continuance  of  this 
uncertain  peace  ;  and  M.  de  Courcelles,  then  Gov- 
ernor of  the  colony,  had  for  some  time  before  his 
resignation,  projected  an  outpost  fort,  somewhere 
about  the  junction  of  Lake  Ontario  with  the  St. 
Lawrence.  M.  de  Courcelles  had  undertaken  an  ex- 
ploring expedition  up  the  St.  Lawrence  to  look  for 
a  suitable  site  for  this  fort,  and  one  of  his  last  acts, 
as  Governor,  had  been  to  call  a  council  of  these 
Indians  in  order  to  ask  their  consent  to  what  he  rep- 
resented to  them  as  simply  a  "fur  depot  with  de- 


f 


184 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


n 


II 


fenses."  The  fatigue  and  exposure  of  this  expedi- 
tion up  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence  injured  the 
health  of  the  Governor  so  much  that  he  soon  after 
resigned  his  office,  leaving  for  his  successor,  the 
Count  de  Frontenac,  a  strong  recommendation  to 
build  the  projected  fort,  which  should  hold  the  Iro- 
quois in  check  and  keep  for  Canada  the  traffic  in  furs 
then  in  great  danger  of  being  diverted  to  the  English 
and  Dutch  settlers  to  the  eastward. 

As  has  been  shown  by  the  preceding  stories,  the 
two  main  causes  that  built  up  New  France  as  a  col- 
ony were  the  profits  of  the  fur-trade  and  the  generous 
enthusiasm  awakened  in  France  for  the  conversion 
of  the  Indians.  Both  objects  involved  the  building 
of  the  forts  needed  to  protect  traders  and  missiona- 
ries, and  around  these  grew  up  the  future  towns  and 
cities.  But  still  another  project  had  greatly  influ- 
enced the  first  explorers  and  settlers  —  the  long- 
cherished  idea  of  finding  a  short  passage  across  or 
through  the  continent  to  the  rich  realms  of  India 
and  Cathay.  And  this  hope  still  attracted  to  the 
arduous  task  of  exploring  unknown  regions,  the  brav- 
est and  most  adventurous  spirits  of  New  France. 

Robert  Cavalier,  afterwards  entitled  De  la  Salle, 
was  the  most  remarkable  of  these  adventurers,  with 
the  most  eventful  history  and  most  tragic  fate.  He 
was  born  in  1643,  about  the  time  of  the  capture  of 
the  heroic  Jogues.  Tho  son  of  an  old  burgher  fam- 
ily of  Rouen,  he  received  a  careful  education,  and 
early  displayed  great  intellectual  ability,  having  special 
talents  for  mathematics.  He  was  an  earnest  and 
devout  Catholic,  and  for  a  time  connected  himself 
with  the   Jesuit  Order  —  a  step  which,  by  French 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


i8S 


law,  deprived  him  of  his  rich  paternal  inheritance 
even  though  he  afterwards  left  the  order.  His  elder 
brother,  an  abb^,  was  a  Salpitian  priest  at  Montreal, 
and  this  circumstance  seems  to  have  decided  his 
career.  With  a  small  fortune — the  capital  of  an 
allowance  of  four  hundred  livres  a  year  —  he  came 
to  Canada  in  1666,  a  young  man  of  twenty-three,  to 
seek  adventure,  and  win  his  spurs  in  hand-to-hand 
encounter,  with  foes  as  determined  and  seemingly  as 
invincible  as  the  fabled  griffins  and  dragons  of  fairy 
tales. 

His  destiny  and  his  ambitious  projects  shaped 
themselves  gradually  before  his  mind.  He  naturally 
repaired  first  to  his  brother  at  Montreal.  Canada 
was  not  yet  an  Episcopal  see,  as  it  soon  after 
became,  under  the  ambitious  Bishop  Laval,  the 
Hildebrand  of  New  France.  The  "Seminary  of  St. 
Sulpice  "  still  held  an  undisputed  supremacy  at  Mon- 
treal, of  which  it  was  now  the  seignior,  or  feudal 
proprietor,  having  succeeded  to  the  first  founders. 

Montreal  was  still  the  most  dangerous  post  in  the 
colony,  and  the  priests  of  St.  Sulpice  were  anxious 
to  defend  it  by  a  line  of  outposts  along  the  river 
front.  Queylus,  the  superior  of  the  seminary, 
offered  La  Salle  a  large  grant  of  land  close  to  the 
rapids  of  St.  Louis,  which  he  gladly  accepted.  He 
at  once  laid  out  the  area  of  a  palisaded  village,  and 
began  to  clear  the  ground  and  erect  buildings,  re- 
mains of  which  may  still  be  found  at  Lachine,  as 
La  Salle's  settlement  was  soon  called,  in  allusion  to 
his  dreams  of  a  short  western  passage  to  China. 

The  Seneca  Iroquois,  who  had  so  terribly  har- 
assed the  colony,  were  at  this  time  on  friendly  terms 


-  Vi 

i    IV 


If' 

If 

III? 
ill- 


i86 


THE  S1X)RY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


:.■ 


1 1  I 


with  the  French,  and  some  of  them  came  to  visit 
La  Salle  at  his  new  home.  Taking  a  fancy  to  the 
adventurous  young  Frenchman,  who  hid  a  burning 
enthusiasm  under  a  veil  of  almost  Indian  reserve, 
they  told  him  of  a  great  river  called  the  Ohio,  that 
rose  in  their  country  and  flowed  at  last  into  the  sea, 
evidently  merging  the  Ohio  and  the  Mississippi  into 
one.  He  eagerly  drank  in  this  welcome  tale,  for  he 
thought  that  this  great  unknown  river  must  flow  into 
the  "  Vermilion  Sea,"  as  the  Gulf  of  California  was 
then  called,  and  so  would  supply  the  long-dreamed-of 
western  passage  to  China.  To  explore  this  great 
river,  to  find  in  it  an  easy  water-way  to  the  Pacific 
and  the  East,  and  to  take  possession  of  this  route 
and  the  great  surrounding  territories  for  the  King 
of  France,  was  the  magnificent  idea  that  now  took 
possession  of  his  imagination,  and  to  which  —  some- 
what modified  — the  rest  of  his  life  was  devoted. 

He  went  down  to  Quebec,  and  unfolded  his  project 
to  the  Governor  De  Courcelles  and  the  Intendant 
Talon,  who  readily  gave  the  endorsement  of  letters 
patent  for  the  enterprise.  In  order  to  procure 
money  for  the  expedition,  he  sold  his  seigniory  of 
Lachine,  and  bought  four  canoes  with  supplies  for 
the  journey,  for  which  he  also  hired  fourteen  men. 
He  joined  his  forces  with  an  expedition  which  the 
seminary  was  just  then  sending  out,  to  attempt  to 
found  a  Mission  among  the  heathen  tribes  of  the 
Great  West.  They  set  out  in  July  and  journeyed 
together  till  September,  passing  the  mouth  of  the 
Niagara  and  hearing  the  distant  roar  of  the  great 
cataract.  But,  near  the  present  city  of  Hamilton, 
the  priests  determined  to   make  their  way  to  the 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


187 


northern  lakes,  and  La  Salle  parted  company  with 
them,  to  spend  the  next  two  years  in  exploring  alone 
the  interior  of  the  continent  to  southward.  In  the 
course  of  these  wanderings,  if  he  did  not  reach  the 
Mississippi,  he  discovered  at  least  the  important 
streams  of  the  Ohio  and  the  Illinois.  But  the  dis- 
covery of  the  "  Father  of  Waters  "  was  reserved  for 
two  other  explorers  —  Louis  Joliet  and  P^re  Mar- 
quette ;  the  one  a  hardy  and  intelligent  trader,  the 
other  a  humble  and  devoted  missionary. 

Meantime,  La  Salle  was  still  dreaming  of  the  great 
river  and  the  possibilities  it  opened  up.  His  own 
discoveries  had  now  convinced  him  that  it  flowed, 
not  into  the  "Vermilion  Sea"  and  the  Pacific,  but 
into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  He  would  take  possession, 
for  France,  of  this  water-way  to  the  sea,  with  all  the 
trade  that  would  naturally  follow  it,  and  would  found 
a  greater  New  France  in  the  fertile  valleys  which 
never  knew  the  deep  snow  and  bitter  frosts  of  North- 
ern Canada. 

Just  at  this  time  the  energetic  and  ambitious  De 
Frontenac  succeeded  De  Courcelles  as  Governor  of 
Canada,  and  La  Salle  found  in  him  a  valuable  ally. 
They  took  counsel  together  about  the  new  fort, 
which  Frontenac  proposed  to  build  on  the  Bay  of 
Quinte,  near  the  foot  of  Lake  Ontario,  and  La  Salle 
was  sent  to  Onondaga,  to  summon  the  Iroquois 
sachems  to  meet  the  viceroy  there  for  a  council. 
But,  meantime,  he  sent  the  Governor  a  map,  which 
convinced  Frontenac  that  the  better  site  would  be 
the  mouth  of  the  Cataraqui,  or  Katarakoui,  the  site 
now  occupied  by  the  city  of  Kingston,  and  the  ren- 
dezvous was  changed  accordingly. 


i88 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


m 


'-^; 


li'i) 


Frontenac,  meantime,  evaded  the  natural  jeal- 
ousy of  the  Canadian  merchants  by  merely  announc- 
ing his  intention  of  making  an  armed  tour  westward, 
in  order  to  impress  the  Indians,  and  he  invited  vol- 
unteers from  the  officers  settled  in  the  colony.  He 
left  the  castle  of  St.  Louis  early  in  June,  1673,  with 
his  staff,  a  part  of  the  garrison  and  the  volunteers 
who  had  answered  his  call ;  and  on  his  way  up  the 
river,  he  enjoyed  the  courteous  hospitality  of  the 
veteran  officers,  now  living  as  seigniors  in  their  prim- 
itive log-house  chateaux.  On  his  arrival  at  Montreal, 
he  was  greeted  with  all  due  ceremony  by  M.  Perrot, 
Governor  of  Ville  Marie. 

And  now  began  the  most  formidable  part  of  his 
undertaking,  that  of  conveying  up  the  rapids  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  the  flotilla  of  a  hundred  and  twenty 
canoes  with  two  flat  boats  gaily  painted  in  strange 
designs  of  red  and  blue,  to  please  the  taste  of  the 
Indians.  This  ascent  involved  long  and  toilsome 
portages  or  carrying  of  the  canoes  through  the  for- 
est, and  great  labor  in  dragging  the  flat  boats  along 
the  shore.  As  the  men  strove  to  stem  the  fierce 
current,  in  water  often  waist-deep,  the  sharp  stones 
cut  their  feet  and  the  rapid  stream  nearly  swept 
them  away. 

Frontenac,  whose  strong  will  and  decided  tone 
had  a  wonderful  influence  over  the  Indians,  took  his 
full  share  in  the  labor.  He  spurred  on  his  men  in 
person,  sharing  their  privations  and  losing  a  :iight's 
sleep  from  anxiety  lest  the  water  should  have  got 
into  the  biscuit,  but  not  leaving  his  post  even  while, 
amid  drenching  rain,  the  boatmen  struggled  with  the 
furious  rapids  of  the  Long  Sault.     But  at  length  the 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA   SALLE. 


189 


tone 
his 

n  in 

cht's 
got 

hile, 
the 
the 


last  rapid  was  safely  passed  and  the  little  fleet  glided 
quietly  up  the  placid  labyrinths  of  the  Thousand 
Islands,  amid  the  rugged  masses  of  lichen-scarred > 
pine-crested  granite,  and  through  narrow  inlets  that 
still  mirror  the  intermingled  foliage  of  beech  and 
birch,  maple  and  sumach,  just  as  they  did  when 
Frontenac's  canoes  broke  their  glassy  calm. 

It  was  the  fourteenth  of  July,  1673,  when  the 
flotilla  approached  the  point  where  lake  and  river 
meet,  the  low  forest-clad  slope  on  which  now  stands 
"  the  limestone  city  "  of  Kingston,  whose  gray  mass 
of  buildings  overlooks  a  spacious  harbor,  commanded 
by  a  loftier  eminence  crowned  by  a  stone  fort  —  the 
successor  to  Fort  Frontenac.  Frontenac's  expedi- 
tion, as  it  approached,  was  arranged  with  a  view  to 
presenting  an  imposing  appearance.  First  came 
four  lines  of  canoes,  then  the  gaily-colored  bateaux 
or  flatboats,  followed  by  a  long  train  of  canoes  —  a 
hundred  and  twenty  in  all.  These  carried,  besides 
Indian  allies,  some  four  hundred  French  soldiers, 
chiefly  men  of  the  famous  regiment  of  Carignan, 
officered  from  the  French  noblesse,  and  sent  to 
Canada  seven  years  before.  Frontenac,  with  his 
staff  and  the  old  officers  who  were  volunteers,  occu- 
pied the  canoes  that  followed  the  flatboats,  and  then 
came  the  rest  in  two  divisions  —  the  Three  Rivers 
canoes  to  the  right  and  those  of  the  Indians  to  the 
left.  The  bright  July  sun  shone  on  the  gold-laced 
uniforms  of  the  brilliant  cluster  of  French  officers, 
with  the  Governor's  stately  figure  in  the  center  ;  and 
the  measured  beat  of  the  paddles  kept  time  to  the 
strains  of  martial  music,  as  the  flotilla  glided  on  over 
the  lake-like  river. 


190 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


\  :•■',      1 

^      ill 


'■-♦' 


H 


1:'  >: 


ii- 


At  a  little  distance  from  the  shore  it  was  met  by 
a  canoe  containing  Iroquois  chiefs,  magnificent  in 
feathers  and  wampun,  accompanied  by  the  Abbe 
d'Urf6,  their  interpreter.  As  the  old  journal  of  the 
expedition  tells  us,  "they  saluted  the  admiral  and 
paid  their  respects  to  him  with  evidence  of  much  joy 
and  confidence,  testifying  to  him  the  obligation  they 
were  under  to  him  for  sparing  them  the  trouble  of 
going  farther,  and  for  receiving  their  submissions  at 
the  River  Katarakoui,  which  is  a  very  suitable  place 
to  camp,  as  they  were  about  signifying  to  him." 

The  expedition  landed  and  encamped  on  the  shore 
of  a  bay  commanding  the  outlet  of  the  river  Catara- 
qui,  or  Katarakoui,  as  it  was  then  spelt,  which  winds 
quietly  out  from  a  chain  of  lakes  now  forming  the 
"  Rideau  Canal,"  between  banks  begirt  with  marshes 
and  then  inhabited  only  by  water-fowl,  musk-rats  and 
beaver.  To  the  south  and  west,  curving  headlands 
and  several  large  islands  sheltered  what  the  old  jour- 
nal calls  "  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  agreeable 
harbors  in  the  world." 

At  daybreak  next  morning,  July  15,  1673,  the 
French  drums  beat,  and  the  whole  force,  including 
Indians,  was  drawn  up  under  arms.  The  Iroquois 
deputies  advanced  between  a  double  line  of  men,  ex- 
tending from  the  French  camp  to  the  tent  of  the 
Governor,  who  stood  in  full  official  state,  surrounded 
by  his  officers.  After  the  usual  formula  of  smoking 
in  silence  the  pipe  of  peace,  the  councM  was  opened 
by  Garakonti6,  a  friendly  chief,  who  in  the  name  of 
the  five  Iroquois  Nations,  expressed  profound  respect 
for  the  Great  Ononthio,  as  they  called  the  Governor. 
Frontenac  replied  in  the  grand  paternal  style  which 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


191 


he  always  used  so  successfully  with  the  Indians. 
His  greeting  ran  thus  : 

"Children — Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Onondagas,  Cay- 
ugas  and  Senecas  —  I  am  glad  to  see  you  here,  where 
I  have  had  a  fire  lighted  for  you  to  smoke  by,  and  for 
me  to  talk  to  you.  You  have  done  well,  my  children, 
to  obey  the  command  of  your  Father.  Take  cour- 
age ;  you  will  bear  his  word,  which  is  full  of  peace 
and  tenderness.  For  do  not  think  that  I  have  come 
for  war !  My  mind  is  full  of  Peace,  and  she  walks 
by  my  side.     Courage,  then,  children,  and  take  rest." 

Then  came  the  welcome  present  of  tobacco,  fol- 
lowed by  further  assurances  of  his  paternal  kindness, 
with  gifts  of  guns  for  the  men,  and  prunes  and  rais- 
ins for  the  women  and  children,  and  so  ended  this 
first  formal  meeting  between  Frontenac  and  the 
grave,  impassive  savages,  in  whom  he  was  afterwards 
to  find  most  formidable  foes. 

Meantime,  the  engineer  was  tracing  out  the  lines 
of  a  fort,  on  a  site  which  is  now  a  barracksquare,  and 
the  work  of  cutting  down  trees,  digging  trenches, 
hewing  palisades,  went  on  rapidly. 

Frontenac,  meanwhile,  devoted  himself  to  propi- 
tiating the  Indians  with  the  address  which,  haughty 
as  he  was,  he  could  use  so  well,  entertaining  the 
chiefs  at  his  table,  making  friends  with  the  children, 
and  feasting  the  squaws,  who  amused  him  in  the 
evenings  with  their  Indian  dances.  After  four  days, 
during  which  the  forts  had  pretty  well  advanced,  he 
called  another  grand  council  of  the  Indians,  and 
began  his  address  by  exhorting  them  to  become 
Christians.  He  then  hinted  at  his  power  to  enforce 
obedience  to  his  commands,  and  threatened  chastise- 


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THE  SIVRY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


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■■V  i    ■i| 


mcnt  in  case  they  should  molest  his  Indian  allies. 
After  again  assuring  them  of  his  present  friendliness, 
he  explained  that  he  was  now  building,  as  a  proof  of 
his  affection,  a  storehouse  from  which  they  could  be 
supplied  on  the  spot  with  all  the  goods  they  needed, 
without  the  inconvenience  of  a  long  and  dangerous 
journey.  After  warning  them  not  to  listen  to  mis- 
chief-makers, and  to  trust  only  "  men  of  character 
like  the  Sieur  de  la  Salle,"  he  ended  by  asking  them 
to  entrust  him  with  a  number  of  their  children  to  be 
educated  at  Quebec.  His  address  seemed  to  give 
general  satisfaction,  and  the  Iroquois,  three  days 
later,  departed  to  their  homes,  from  whence  they 
afterwards  sent  to  him  several  children,  important 
to  the  French  as  hostages  for  their  parents*  good 
conduct. 

Frontenac  began  also  to  send  his  expedition  home 
in  detachments,  while  he  himself,  with  his  guard, 
remained  to  receive  and  address  in  the  same  way, 
another  deputation  of  Iroquois  from  the  villages 
north  of  Lake  Ontario.  In  reporting  to  the  French 
Minister  —  Colbert  —  the  successful  accomplishment 
of  his  object,  he  suggested  that,  while  the  fort  at 
Cataraqui,  with  a  vessel  then  in  progress,  would  give 
to  the  French  control  of  Lake  Ontario,  a  second  fort 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Niagara  would  command  the 
whole  chain  of  the  upper  lakes.  Most  of  all  he  con- 
gratulated himself  on  having  "impressed  the  Iroquois 
at  once  with  respect,  fear  and  good-will,"  and  secured 
at  least  a  lasting  truce  from  their  long  harassing 
raids. 

During  the  time  occupied  in  this  expedition, 
events  were  occurring,  far  to  the  southward,  which 


THE  STOh'Y  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


«93 


were  destined  materially  to  influence  the  future  of 
the  new  settlement. 

While  Frontenac  was  pushing  his  way  up  the 
furious  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  canoes  of 
Marquette  and  Joliet  were  gliding  down  the  placid 
waters  of  the  majestic  Mississippi.  For  this  long- 
sought  river  was  now  actually  discovered. 

Soon  after  Frontenac's  return  to  Quebec,  the 
canoe  of  Joliet  followed  him  with  the  good  news,  and 
though  it  was  upset  at  the  foot  of  the  Lachine 
Rapids,  he  himself  escaped  to  carry  to  the  Governor 
his  important  tidings.  La  Salle's  interest  was,  of 
course,  intensely  excited,  chiefly  by  the  representa- 
tion that  it  was  possible  to  go  in  a  bark  from  Fort 
Frontenac,  on  Lake  Ontario,  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
only  one  "  carrying-place  "  being  mentioned,  at  what 
we  now  know  as  Niagara  Falls. 

La  Salle  immediately  conceived  the  idea  of  realiz- 
ing his  long-cherished  project  of  opening  up  a  water- 
way to  the  southern  sea,  and  establishing  a  line  of 
military  and  trading  posts  along  the  whole  length  of 
this  watery  highway  of  lake  and  river.  He  would 
thus  protect  the  intended  route,  and  take  military 
possession,  in  the  name  of  his  royal  master,  of  a 
country  of  whose  extent  and  richness  even  he  had 
hardly  any  real  conception. 

In  many  respects  La  Salle  was  well-fitted  for  such 
a  magnificent  enterprise.  His  daring  energy,  de- 
termined will,  indomitable  perseverance  and  the 
dauntless  endurance  of  his  strong  mental  and  physi- 
cal constitution  seemed  to  supply  the  qualities  most 
needed  for  realizing  the  dream  that  fired  his  imagi- 
nation.    But    his    burning    enthusiasm   was  veiled 


194 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLB, 


.\'\ 


■,!:}, 


fi:';  s  * 


under  a  shy  reserve,  which  he  could  not  overcome, 
and  which,  by  depriving  him  of  the  personal  influence 
possessed  by  Cham  plain,  probably  made  all  the  dif- 
ference between  success  and  failure  in  his  tragic 
career.  In  Frontenac,  however.  La  Salle  found  a 
discriminating  and  helpful  friend  ;  and  he  now  re- 
ceived from  the  Governor  the  command  of  the  new 
fort,  where  he  was  to  reside  while  maturing  his  plans, 
and  preparing  to  execute  them. 

But  the  new  fort  had  jealous  enemies  among  the 
traders  of  the  colony,  who  indeed  had  already  been 
clamoring  for  its  demolition.  It  was  therefore 
thought  advisable  that  La  Salle  should  go  to  France 
in  1675,  to  submit  his  project  to  Louis  himself,  car- 
rying letters  of  recommendation  to  the  king's  trusted 
minister  —  Colbert.  He  was  honored  with  a  gra- 
cious reception  at  court,  and  was  raised  to  the 
ranks  of  the  untitled  noblesse  as  the  Sieur  de  la 
Salle.  He  received  also  on  certain  conditions  a 
royal  grant  of  Fort  Frontenac  and  the  adjacent 
lands,  now  included  in  the  County  of  Frontenac. 

Satisfied  for  the  present  with  this  success,  La  Salle 
returned  to  Canada,  and  his  friends,  elated  with  his 
good  fortune,  helped  him  to  fulfill  his  offer  of  paying 
back  to  the  king  the  ten  thousand  francs  which  the 
fort  had  cost.  He  was  accompanied  to  Canada  by  a 
friar,  named  Hennepin,  who  was  to  take  an  active 
part  in  the  work  of  exploring  the  still  unknown 
wilderness.  Though  his  gray  robe  with  its  peaked 
capote,  girdle  of  rope  and  pendant  crucifix,  as  well 
as  his  bare,  sandaled  feet,  marked  him  as  a  Francis- 
can monk,  he  was  possessed  by  a  thirst  for  adventure 
and  discovery,  which  irresistibly  attracted  him  to  the 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


»9S 


Canadian  Mission,  and  then  to  the  new  outpost  at 
Fort  Frontenac,  which  he  made  his  headquarters. 

La  Salle  at  once  set  to  work  energetically  to  fulfill 
the  remaining  conditions  of  his  grant.  Within  two 
years  he  had  replaced  the  original  wooden  fort  by  a 
much  larger  one,  defended  by  stone  ramparts  and 
bastions  on  the  landward  side.  It  inclosed,  besides 
the  storehouse,  a  row  of  cabins  of  squared  timber, 
inhabited  by  the  garrison,  a  well,  a  mill,  a  forge  and 
a  bakery.  Its  walls  were  armed  with  nine  small 
guns,  and  the  garrison  consisted  of  a  dozen  soldiers, 
two  officers  and  a  surgeon,  while  there  were  besides 
about  fifty  laborers,  artisans  and  voyageurs^  or  cottreurs 
des  bois,  a  class  of  men  almost  as  wild  as  the  Indians 
themselves. 

A  large  extent  of  land  was  soon  cleared,  and  a  vil- 
lage of  French  colonists  quickly  grew  up  in  the 
shadow  of  the  fort,  while  a  little  farther  on  was  a 
cluster  of  Iroquois  wigwams.  Close  by  was  the 
chapel  of  the  Recollet  friar,  Louis  Hennepin  and  his 
colleague,  Luc  Buisset.  The  cleared  meadow  around 
the  settlement  was  often  dotted  with  the  wigwams 
of  the  Indian  traders,  and  alive  with  the  busy  life  of 
the  encampment  and  the  Indian  games  and  dances, 
in  which  the  Frenchmen  would  often  join,  to  relieve 
the  monotony  of  their  wilderness  life. 

If  La  Salle  had  only  sought  riches,  he  would  have 
been  satisfied  with  the  yearly  profits  of  twenty-five 
thousand  livres,  gained  by  trading  at  Fort  Frontenac. 
Here,  too,  he  could  indulge  his  love  of  solitude  and 
rule,  like  a  king,  over  his  little  realm.  But  he 
had  never  meant  Fort  Frontenac  to  be  anything 
more  than  a  step  toward  industrial  colonies  in  the 


n 


196        THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


M*;j. 


•'V..:\\ 


:f 


Ml  I 

III 


rich  southwestern  wilderness,  and  a  commercial 
route  down  the  Mississippi  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

In  1677  he  again  sailed  for  France,  and  laid  before 
Colbert  a  representation  of  the  discoveries  he  had 
made,  and  the  beauty  and  fertility  of  the  country  to 
the  south  and  west  of  the  Great  Lakes,  with  its 
riches  of  game,  and  its  advantages  of  climate ;  a 
country  which  the  English  colonists  were  already 
coveting  for  themselves.  His  memorial  was  consid- 
ered, and  in  May,  1678,  he  received  a  royal  patent 
authorizing  him  to  proceed  in  the  labor  of  discov- 
ery, and  to  build  within  five  years  as  many  forts  as 
he  saw  fit ;  and  giving  him,  besides,  a  monopoly  of 
buffalo  hides. 

Having  secured  several  large  loans,  by  the  aid  of 
his  brothers  and  relatives,  who  "  spared  nothing  to 
enable  him  to  respond  worthily  to  the  royal  goodness," 
he  sailed  again  from  Rochelle,  taking  with  him  about 
thirty  men  and  two  lieutenants  —  La  Motte  and 
Henri  de  Tonti,  an  Italian  officer  who  became  his 
most  faithful  follower.  At  Quebec  they  were  met  by 
Father  Hennepin,  who  had,  meantime,  been  making 
long  journeys  among  the  villages  of  the  Iroquois 
—  by  canoe  in  summer  and  on  snow-shoes  in  win- 
ter—  when  he  and  his  companion  camped  out  at 
night  in  holes  dug  in  the  snow,  keeping  a  fire 
burning  to  prevent  them  from  freezing. 

A  small  bark  of  about  ten  tons  lay  at  Fort  Fron- 
tenac,  intended  for  cruising  on  the  lake,  though 
canoes  were  more  generally  used,  and  La  Salle's 
canoe-men  were  known  as  the  best  in  America. 
La  Motte  and  Hennepin,  with  sixteen  men,  em- 
barked in  it  on  a  gusty  day  in   November,  leaving 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


«97 


La  Salle  and  the  rest  of  the  party  to  follow 
them  westward.  For  shelter  from  the  northwest 
gale,  they  ran  close  along  the  shore,  and  finally  took 
refuge  in  a  river,  probably  the  H umber,  near 
the  present  site  of  Toronto. 

After  a  night  of  hard  tossing  on  the  lake,  they 
succeeded  in  entering  the  Niagara  River,  and  landed 
on  the  eastern  shore,  near  the  site  of  Fort  Niagara, 
then  occupied  by  a  Seneca  village.  Hennepin  as- 
cended the  river  in  a  canoe  till  the  fierce  strength 
of  the  rapids  stopped  his  further  progress.  He  then 
took  to  the  shore,  and  pushed  through  the  wilderness 
till  he,  first  of  Europeans,  beheld  the  great  cataract 
of  Niagara  Falls,  descended  to  the  foot  of  the  cliff, 
and  even  penetrated  under  the  Fall. 

La  Motte  immediately  began  to  build  a  fort  on  the 
river,  two  leagues  above  the  point  of  landing.  He 
was  soon  joined  by  La  Salle,  who  had  been  nearly 
wrecked  in  a  storm  off  the  Bay  of  Quinte.  He  had 
gone  first  to  the  great  village  of  the  Scnecas  beyond 
the  Genesee,  and  had  succeeded  in  securing  their 
consent,  which  La  Mottc  had  vainly  sought  before, 
to  the  building  of  a  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Niagara, 
and  of  a  vessel  above  the  cataract. 

La  Salle  soon  met  with  his  first  misfortune,  the 
total  wreck  of  the  vessel  in  which  he  had  come, 
caused  by  the  disobedience  of  the  pilot.  His  men, 
too,  housed  in  the  little  palisaded  fort  below  the 
heights  of  Lewiston,  were  difficult  to  manage ;  and 
La  Motte,  disabled  by  inflammation  of  the  eyes,  had 
to  return  to  Fort  Frontenac.  The  building  of  the 
vessel  went  on,  however,  despite  the  difficulties  of 
carrying  all  the  lading  of  the  small  bark  twelve  miles 


'ni 


Vi 


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198 


Tl/£  SrOKY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


through  the  forest,  from  its  anchorage  below  Lewis- 
ton  to  the  point  where  the  new  vessel  was  in  progress 
on  the  shore  of  Lake  Erie.  The  keel  was  soon  laid, 
and  the  work  of  the  carpenters  advanced  rapidly, 
despite  some  hostile  demonstrations  from  the  jealous 
Indians. 

La  Salle,  meantime,  marked  out  the  foundations  of 
two  block-houses  on  the  pre  ^ent  site  of  Fort  Niagara, 
and  called  the  post  after  the  name  of  one  of  his 
patrons,  Fort  Conti.  In  February,  needing  to  go 
to  Fort  Frontenac,  he  walked  all  the  way  thither  on 
snow-shoes,  through  the  snow-blocked  forest  and 
over  the  frozen  lake.  A  dog  drew  his  baggage  on  a 
sled  ;  and  for  food  the  party  had  only  parched  corn, 
which  ran  out  two  days  before  they  reached  Fort 
Frontenac. 

It  was  August  when  he  returned  with  three  friends 
to  Niagara.  Before  that  time  the  new  vessel  had 
been  launched,  with  firing  of  cannon  and  great  re- 
joicings, and  anchored  well  out  in  the  lake,  out  of  the 
reach  of  Indian  attacks.  It  was  named  The  Griffin 
—  the  crest  of  Frontenac  —  and  La  Salle  used  to  say 
that  •*  he  would  make  the  Griffin  fly  above  the  crows  ;  " 
by  which  he  meant  the  unfriendly  Jesuits,  who  from 
a  desire  to  have  the  newly  explored  territory  under 
their  own  influence,  and  jealous  of  all  other  pioneers, 
were  among  the  most  determined  foes  of  his 
enterprise. 

At  this  very  time  his  enemies  had  circulated  re- 
ports so  injurious  to  his  credit,  representing  all 
his  property  in  New  France  as  having  been  seized 
by  his  creditors,  that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  lose 
no  time  in  setting  out  on  his  expedition.     On  the 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA   SALLE. 


199 


seventh  of  August,  therefore,  after  a  parting  salute, 
the  Griffin  spread  her  white  wings  on  the  blue 
waters  of  Lake  Erie,  which  had  never  borne  a  sail 
before.  She  cruised  swiftly  up  the  lakes  and  passed 
into  the  strait  of  Detroit,  where  the  prairie  to  right 
and  left  supplied  abundance  of  game,  including  a 
number  of  bears,  whose  flesh  furnished  excellent 
food. 

On  Lake  Huron  the  Griffin  was  nearly  wrecked 
in  a  gale,  but  reached  safely  the  point  of  St.  Ignace 
of  Michillimacinac,  where  there  was  a  trading-post 
and  a  Jesuit  Mission.  Here  the  expedition  landed, 
and  La  Salle,  in  a  scarlet,  gold-embroidered  mantle, 
knelt  at  mass  amid  a  motley  concourse,  in  the  little 
bark  chapel  of  the  Ottawa  village.  He  found  there 
four  out  of  fifteen  men  whom  he  had  sent  on  before 
to  prepare  the  Illinois  Indians  for  his  coming,  and 
who  had  nearly  all  proved  unfaithful  to  their  trust. 

Early  in  September  he  passed  on  into  Lake  Michi- 
gan and  anchored  at  Green  Bay.  Being  exceedingly 
anxious  to  raise  money  at  once,  he  unhappily  deter- 
mined to  send  back  the  Griffin  to  Niagara,  with  a 
valuable  freight  of  furs  collected  by  an  advance  party ; 
while  he  and  his  men  pursued  their  voyage  in  four 
canoes,  in  which  they  carried  a  heavy  cargo,  includ- 
ing a  forge  and  tools  for  future  use.  But  a  sudden 
equinoctial  storm  swooped  down  upon  them,  and 
they  were  nearly  lost  in  the  darkneis,  while  the  vio- 
lence of  the  gale,  of  two  days'  duration,  made  them 
tremble  for  the  safety  of  the  Griffin. 

With  difficulty  they  made  their  way  along  the 
shore  of  the  lake  against  constant  storms,  which 
all   but    swamped   their   heavy-laden   canoes.      The 


^1- 1 


200         THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


'A ! 


II 


Indians  they  met  proved  generally  friendly,  though 
La  Salle  had  to  take  decided  measures  to  protect  the 
party  from  depredations.  But  he  was  warned  against 
advancing  among  the  Illinois  Indians,  as  it  seemed 
that  his  unscrupulous  French  enemies  had  purposely 
roused  t'ueir  hostility  by  instigating  the  Iroquois  to 
attack  them. 

He  reached  safely  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph, 
which  he  called  the  Miamis,  where  he  was  rejoined 
by  Tonti  and  his  men,  who  had  remained  at  Sainte 
Marie  looking  for  the  deserters  from  the  advance 
party.  There  was  as  yet  no  news  of  the  Griffin, 
which  had  now  had  plenty  of  time  for  her  return 
voyage  from  Niagara,  and  La  Salle  had  a  dark  fore- 
boding as  to  her  fate.  But  whatever  betided,  he 
must  push  on  to  his  goal. 

Early  in  December,  the  party  re-embarked  and 
the  canoes  began  to  ascend  the  St.  Joseph  in  what 
is  now  the  State  of  Michigan,  on  their  way  to 
the  sources  of  the  Kankakee,  one  of  the  heads 
of  the  Illinois,  which  course,  in  turn,  would  lead 
them  to  the  Mississippi. 

After  losing  their  way  in  the  forest,  while  seeking 
this  stream,  and  being  nearly  burned  to  death  while 
sleeping  in  a  wigwam  of  reeds,  they  made  their  way 
over  desolate  snow-clad  plains  to  the  Kankakee,  on 
which  they  re-embarked,  following  its  winding  way 
through  the  great  prairies  of  Indiana,  where  the  half- 
starved  party  occasionally  caught  a  buffalo.  They 
passed  on  into  the  valleys  of  Illinois,  and,  near  the 
present  village  of  Utica,  they  found  the  empty  bark 
lodges  of  a  great  Indian  town  whose  inhabitants 
were  absent  on  their  winter  hunt.     Near  Peoria  Lake, 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


201 


however,  they  found  a  village  of  inhabited  wigwams, 
and  had  a  peaceful  interview  with  the  people  who 
were  at  first  terrified  by  the  appearance  of  the  eight 
armed  canoes.  La  Salle  told  these  Illinois  Indians 
of  his  intention  to  build  a  great  wooden  canoe  in 
which  to  descend  the  Mississippi  and  bring  them 
needed  goods  ;  and  promised  to  help  them  against 
the  dreaded  Iroquois  if  they  would  allow  him  to 
build  a  fort  among  them. 

His  footsteps  were  dogged,  however,  by  a  Missouri 
chief,  sent  by  his  malicious  enemies  to  poison  the 
minds  of  the  Illinois  against  him,  by  representing 
him  as  an  Iroquois  spy,  a  suspicion  of  which  ere  long 
he  succeeded  in  disabusing  them.  Poison  of  a  more 
material  sort,  too,  seems  to  have  been  tried  to 
shorten  his  career,  as  it  had  already  been  tried  at 
Fort  Frontenac. 

Six  mutinous  members  of  his  band,  including  two 
of  his  best  carpenters,  deserted.him  here  — a  deser- 
tion that  cut  him  to  the  heart,  and  made  him  feel 
that  in  addition  to  the  difficulties  of  his  enterprise, 
he  had  scarcely  four  men  whom  he  could  trust.  It 
is  no  wonder  that,  when,  in  January,  he  built  his  new 
fort  on  a  hill  above  the  Illinois  River,  he  called  it 
Fort  Cr^vecceur  —  Fort  Heartbreak.  In  addition  to 
other  vexations,  he  was  now  convinced  that  the  loss 
of  the  Griffin,  which  had  probably  been  sunk  by  her 
treacherous  pilot,  was  now  only  too  certain. 

As  the  lost  ship  had  on  board  not  only  a  valuable 
cargo  of  furs,  but  also  the  rigging  and  anchors  of  the 
vessel  to  be  built  for  the  descent  of  the  Mississippi, 
it  was  necessary  for  La  Salle  to  return  all  the  way  to 
Fort  Frontenac,  if  he  were  to  persevere  in  the  enter- 


,'  if.  'J 


^"■f 


1 


li 


if 


i/i  J 


'! 


h 


E 


I ' 


I  i 


$ 


202         7y/A'  ^T'OA'K  OF  ROPERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 

prise.  Happily,  before  his  departure,  he  received 
information  from  friendly  Indians  that  the  Missis- 
sippi was  not  beset  with  dangers  and  obstacles,  but 
was  easily  navigable  to  the  sea,  and  that  the  tribes 
on  its  banks  would  give  him  a  kind  reception. 

Therefore,  after  seeing  the  new  vessel  on  the 
stocks  and  well  on  the  way  to  completion,  he  sent 
P6re  Hennepin  to  explore  the  Illinois,  while  he  set 
out  on  his  dreary  journey  to  Fort  Frontenac  over  the 
still  frozen  wilderness ;  though  as  it  was  March  the 
streams  were  partly  open.  Partly  by  snow-shoes, 
partly  by  canoe —  sometimes  obliged  to  leave  canoes 
behind  and  to  make  a  new  one  to  cross  a  swollen 
stream  — often  waist-deep  in  ice-cold  water,  or  press- 
ing through  thickets  and  marshes,  or  climbing  rocks 
loaded  with  necessary  baggage,  they  retraced  their 
way  toward  Lake  Michigan.  At  Fort  Joseph  they 
found  the  two  men  left  to  make  a  vain  search  for  the 
Griffin,  and  sent  them  back  to  join  Tonti  at  Fort 
Cr^vecceur. 

After  many  delays  caused  by  the  difficulties  of 
the  way,  they  reached  the  log  cabin  on  the  banks  of 
the  Niagara,  where  the  Griffin  had  been  built,  and 
where  some  of  the  men  had  been  left.  In  La  Salle's 
case,  misfortunes  indeed  "never  came  single." 
Here  tidings  of  a  new  calamity  awaited  him  !  In 
addition  to  the  loss  of  the  Griffin,  and  ten  thousand 
crowns  in  her  rargo,  a  ship  coming  to  him  from 
France,  with  goods  to  the  value  of  twenty-two  thou- 
sand livres,  had  been  wrecked  at  the  mouth  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  and  a  band  of  men,  hired  for  his 
service  in  Europe,  had  been  either  detained  by  the 
Intendant,  or  led  by  reports  of  his  death  to  return. 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE.         203 


Leaving  his  three  exhausted  followers  at  Niagara, 
La  Salle,  still  undaunted,  pushed  on  through  floods 
of  spring  rain  to  Fort  Frontenac,  after  his  perilous 
journey  of  a  thousand  miles  —  ••  the  most  arduous 
journey  ever  made  by  Frenchmen  in  America  ;  "  and 
that  is  saying  a  great  deal. 

Here  there  was  little  but  trouble  in  store  for  him. 
His  agents  had  robbed  him,  his  creditors  had  seized 
his  property,  and  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence  had 
swallowed  up  several  richly-laden  canoes.  He  hurried 
on  to  Montreal,  astonishing  both  friends  and  foes  by 
his  arrival,  and  succeeded  within  a  week  in  getting 
the  supplies  he  needed  for  the  party  left  at  Cr^ve- 
cceur.  But  just  as  he  was  leaving  Fort  Frontenac, 
two  voyageurs  arrived  with  letters  from  Tonti,  telling 
him  of  the  desertion  of  nearly  the  whole  garrison, 
after  destroying  the  fort,  and  plundering  and  throw- 
ing into  the  river  all  the  stores  they  could  not  carry 
off.  The  deserters,  twenty  in  number,  had  also  de- 
stroyed Fort  St  Joseph,  carried  off  a  store  of  furs 
from  Michillimacinac,  and  plundered  the  magazine  at 
Niagara.  Some  of  them  had  taken  refuge  on  the 
English  side  of  the  lake,  while  the  rest  were  on  their 
way  to  Fort  Frontenac,  with  the  design  of  killing 
La  Salle  himself. 

La  Salle  was  always  ready  for  an  emergency.  He 
embarked  at  once  in  canoes,  with  nine  of  his  trusti- 
est men,  lay  in  wait  for  the  plunderers  as  they 
came  down  by  the  shore  of  the  lake,  and  succeeded 
in  intercepting  them  all,  killing  two,  compelling  the 
rest  to  surrender,  and  taking  them  as  prisoners  to 
Fort  Frontenac.  All  his  work  had  now  to  be  begun 
anew;  but  however  the  accumulated  disasters  may 


i 


I 


I; 


iJH' 


b 

if 


204 


TffE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA   SALLE. 


have  tried  his  courage,  he  could  not  give  way  to 
despair.  He  must  at  once  go  in  search  of  Tonti,  and 
if  possible  save  him  and  his  handful  of  men,  as  well 
as  the  half-finished  vessel  on  the  stocks.  Taking 
with  him  the  necessary  material,  his  Lieutenant,  La 
Fordt,  and  twenty-five  men,  he  again  journeyed  west- 
ward, taking,  this  time,  the  shorter  route  of  the 
Humber,  Lake  Simcoe  and  Lake  Huron,  through  a 
hostile  country,  where  he  could  with  difficulty  pro- 
cure provisions  from  the  jealous  Indians.  At  the 
ruined  Fort  Miamis,  on  the  St.  Joseph,  he  left  five 
of  his  men,  with  the  heavy  stores,  and  hurried  on, 
his  anxiety  for  Tonti  being  increased  by  the  rumor 
of  a  threatened  invasion  by  the  Iroquois. 

As  he  and  his  men  passed  through  the  wide 
prairies,  now  alive  with  buffalo,  they  secured  abun- 
dance of  food  wherewith  to  relieve  Tonti  and  his 
party,  should  they  succeed  in  finding  them.  Ap- 
proaching the  great  Illinois  town  they  found  ghastly 
proof  that  the  Iroquois  invasion  was  no  mere  rumor, 
for  it  was  indeed  a  city  of  the  dead.  The  invaders 
had  evidently  found  it  deserted  by  its  living  inhabi- 
tants, and  had  wreaked  their  malice  on  the  corpses 
they  had  disinterred  and  mangled,  leaving  them  a  prey 
to  the  wolf  and  the  vulture.  Farther  on  they  passed 
six  deserted  camps  of  the  flying  Illinois,  and  on  the 
opposite  shore,  the  traces  of  encampments  of  the 
pursuing  Iroquois.  They  reached  Fort  Cr^vecoeur 
p*  \^'..  %  ;Snd  it  ruined  and  deserted  ;  and  though 
'"' -.T  .e.«r/'l  «7n  the  stocks  alone  was  uninjured,  its  nails 
s^/i^e"^  bad  been  drawn  out,  and  on  one  of  its 


^t;jG 


planks  Were  inscribed  the  words  :  "  Nous  sommes  tons 
sauvages,  1680."    The  date  showing  plainly  that  how- 


! 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA   SALLE. 


205 


ever  savage  the  destroyers  had  been,  they  were  not, 
at  any  rate,  Indian  savages. 

Pursuing  their  course  down  the  stream  of  the 
Illinois,  the  little  band  in  three  or  four  days  reached 
its  mouth,  and  glided  out  on  the  placid  waters  of  a 
broad  river.  La  Salle  was  at  last  en  the  long-dreamed- 
of  Mississippi !  But  the  presert  load  of  anxiety  left 
little  room  for  exultation.  On  an  overhanging  tree 
he  hung  a  hieroglyphic  letter  for  Tonti,  should  he  pass 
that  way,  representing  himself  and  his  men  in  their 
canoes,  holding  the  pipe  of  peace.  His  companions 
offered  to  accompany  him  should  he  choose  to  go  on 
to  the  sea  ;  but  he  would  not  abandon  the  men  he  had 
left,  nor  discontinue  his  search  for  Tonti.  On  their 
way  back,  paddling  by  night  as  well  as  by  day,  they 
saw  the  great  comet  of  1680,  from  which  Newton 
discovered  the  regular  revolution  of  comets  round 
the  sun.  La  Salle,  unlike  the  ordinary  observers  of 
the  time,  noted  it,  not  with  superstitious  dread,  but 
with  purely  scientific  interest. 

Ascending  towards  Lake  Huron  by  a  different 
branch  of  the  river,  the  party  came  upon  a  rude  bark 
cabin,  in  which  La  Salle's  quick  eye  discovered  a  bit 
of  wood  cut  by  a  saw,  a  proof,  he  thought,  of  its 
recent  occupation  by  Tonti  and  his  party. 

Through  a  severe  snowstorm  of  nineteen  days' 
duration,  accompanied  by  severe  cold,  the  wayfarers 
at  last  reached  Fort  Miamis,  which  had  been  restored 
by  the  men  left  there,  in  addition  to  their  work  of  pre- 
paring timber  for  a  new  vessel  for  the  lake.  Here  La 
Salle  spent  the  winter,  laying  plans  for  colonizing  the 
valleys  of  the  Illinois  and  the  Mississippi,  and  for 
the  Western    tribes  to   make  a  defensive 


!i 


invitmg 


206 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


league  under  the  French  flag,  which  should  gradually 
change  a  savage  battle-ground  into  a  civilized  Chris- 
tian community.  It  was  Champlain's  old  scheme 
under  new  conditions  ;  but,  as  before,  it  had  no  stable 
foundation.  At  first,  however,  he  won  over  a  number 
of  allies  from  the  Illinois  and  other  tribes,  and  after 
calling  a  grand  council  and  exhorting  them  to  become 
the  "  children  of  the  Great  King,"  he  set  out,  in 
May,  1681,  to  revisit  Fort  Frontenac. 

At  Green  Bay,  on  Lake  Michigan,  he  at  last  found 
Tonti  with  the  Friar  Membr^.  After  many  stirring 
adventures,  having  nobly  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
friendly  Illinois,  and  acted  as  mediators  between 
them  and  the  Iroquois,  they  had  safely  reached  this 
point  on  the  way  home.  Each  had  much  to  tell ;  but 
La  Salle's  tale  of  misfortune  was  told  with  such 
cheerful  calmness  that  the  friar  regarded  with  as- 
tonished admiration  his  firm  front  under  calamity, 
and  his  determination  to  pursue  his  aim,  when  "any 
one  else  would  have  thrown  up  his  hand,  and  aban- 
doned the  enterprise." 

Paddling  their  canoes  a  thousand  miles  farther,  La 
Salle  again  reached  Fort  Frontenac,  where  he  had  to 
do  his  best  to  retrieve  his  embarrassed  affairs.  He 
went  to  Montreal  and  succeeded  in  getting  new 
credit  by  parting  with  some  of  his  monopolies.  Then 
he  once  more  set  out  with  a  band  of  thirty  French- 
men, and  more  than  a  hundred  Indians,  for  the 
southwestern  wilderness.  His  laden  canoes  once 
more  paddled  slowly  along  Lake  Huron,  and  were 
beached  at  last,  on  a  gray  November  day,  at  Fort 
Miamis.  Weakened  by  the  desertion  of  some  of  his 
band  he  pursued  his  way  down  the  Mississippi  in 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


207 


canoes,  holding  peaceable  interviews  with  the  Indian 
tribes  on  the  shore,  till  at  last,  on  the  sixth  of  April, 
his  canoes  glided  down  the  three  mouths  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, and  out  on  the  shoreless  expanse  of  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico.  Here  a  wooden  column  was  prepared, 
bearing  the  arms  of  France  and  inscribed  with  the 
words  :  "  Louis  Le  Gratid^  Roy  de  France  at  de  Navarre ^ 
rigne :  Le  Neuvchnc  Avril  1682."  Then,  in  presence 
of  his  few  weather-beaten  Frenchmen  and  the  won- 
dering Indians,  he  formally  took  possession  of  the 
whole  country  south  of  the  Alleghanies,  under  the 
name  of  Louisiana,  for  the  King  of  France.  A 
volley  of  musketry  and  the  chanting  -of  the  grand 
hymn  of  the  Vexilla  Regis  celebrated  this  addition 
to  New  France,  which  made  it  the  nominal  possessor 
of  nearly  the  whole  North  American  continent ! 

At  last,  then,  after  almost  incredible  toil  and  suf- 
fering. La  Salle  had  accomplished  this  part  of  his 
scheme.  The  work  of  colonization  had  yet  to  be 
begun,  but  there  were  many  lions  in  the  way. 

As  the  expedition  made  its  way  up  the  Mississippi, 
contending  with  famine  and  hostile  Indians,  La  Salle 
was  seized  with  a  dangerous  illness,  which  detained 
him  so  long  that  it  was  September  before  he  re- 
joined Tonti  at  Michillimacinac.  Had  he  succeeded 
in  building  his  vessel  for  the  descent  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, he  could  have  sailed  on  to  France  with  a  valu- 
able cargo  of  buffalo  hides.  As  it  was  now  too  late 
to  go  to  France  for  the  money  he  needed,  he  and 
Tonti  proceeded  to  entrench  themselves  for  the 
winter  near  the  Indian  town,  on  a  high  and  bold 
rock  overlooking  the  Illinois  and  its  fertile  valley, 
calling  his  new  post  by  the  favorite  name  of  Fort  St. 


fl  ' 


208        THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


W 


m 


\       '.: 


\'.' 


Louis.  Round  its  wooden  ramparts  assembled,  for 
protection  against  the  Iroquois,  some  twenty  thoU' 
sand  Indians  of  various  tribes,  including  four  thou- 
sand warriors.  Here  La  Salle  seems  to  have  enjoyed 
one  of  his  last  gleams  of  happiness,  rejoicing  in  this 
earnest  of  success,  and  seeing  in  imagination  a  great 
and  prosperous  colony  growing  up  to  possess  and 
subdue  the  wilderness. 

But,  in  order  to  maintain  his  influence  over  the 
Indians,  he  must  have  arms  to  defend  them  and 
goods  for  merchandise,  which  must  at  present  be 
brought  from  Canada.  He  knew  the  bitterness  of 
his  enemies,  but  in  Frontenac  he  had  an  invaluable 
friend.  But  now  a  new  blow  fell  upon  the  ill-fated 
La  Salle.  His  enemies  had  intrigued  for  even  the 
recall  of  Frontenac  on  the  ground  of  alleged  charges 
against  him.  His  successor  was  Lefebvre  de  la  Barre, 
a  weak  and  avaricious  old  man,  who  soon  made  com- 
mon cause  with  La  Salle's  enemies.  His  misrepre- 
sentations reached  Louis  himself  at  Fontainebleau, 
who  was  led  to  believe  that  La  Salle's  discovery 
was  useless  and  his  enterprise  even  mischievous. 

While  La  Salle  was  still  in  happy  ignorance  at 
Fort  St.  Louis,  the  Governor  cut  off  his  supplies,  de- 
tained his  messengers,  and  even  said  at  a  conference 
with  the  Iroquois,  who  were  being  urged  by  the 
English  and  Dutch  traders  to  attack  the  Western 
tribes,  that  they  were  welcome  to  plunder  and  kill 
the  adventurous  discoverer !  This  malicious  perse- 
cution culminated  in  the  Governor's  seizure  of  Fort 
Frontenac,  on  pretense  that  some  of  the  conditions 
of  the  grant  had  been  unfulfilled.  The  threatened 
invasion  of  the  Iroquois  which  spread  terror  through 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE.        209 


the  region  of  the  Illinois,  did  not  take  place  ;  but, 
with  the  Governor  his  ene  ny,  La  Salle's  situation 
was  intolerable ;  and  bidding  a  final  farewell,  as  it 
turned  out,  to  Fort  St.  Louis  and  to  Canada;  he 
sailed  on  his  last  voyage  to  France. 

In  Paris  his  friends  and  patrons  gained  him  access 
to  Louis  the  Fourteenth,  and  in  a  private  audience 
he  unfolded  his  discoveries  and  his  great  designs.  It 
happened,  opportunely  for  him,  that  France  was  then 
desirous  of  checking  the  Spanish  pretensions  to  ex- 
clusive possession  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  as  his 
proposals  exactly  fell  in  with  this  desire,  they  found 
great  favor  at  Court.  It  would  seem  as  if  La  Salle's 
usually  calm  judgment  had  been  blinded  by  the  exi- 
gencies of  the  situation  and  disturbed  by  the  num- 
berless calamities  that  had  befallen  him,  for  part  of 
the  scheme  submitted  to  the  king  was  a  proposal  to 
lead  an  army  of  fifteen  thousand  Indians  against  the 
Spaniards  of  Mexico.  This  proposal  was  seriously 
entertained  by  Louis  the  Fourteenth  and  his  minis- 
ters, who  had  no  means  of  knowing  the  difficulties  in 
the  way. 

La  Salle  received  all  the  power  he  asked  for,  and 
was  expected  to  perform  what  he  had  proposed,  while 
the  Governor  was  ordered  to  restore  all  the  posses- 
sions so  unjustly  seized.  Four  vessels,  instead  of  the 
two  he  had  asked  for,  were  given  to  La  Salle  for  his 
voyage  to  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi,  and  a  num- 
erous body  of  soldiers  and  colonists  for  the  proposed 
colony  was  mustered  at  Rochelle. 

In  July,  1684,  after  many  delays,  the  little  squadron 
set  sail.  This  opens  the  last  and  most  painful  chap- 
ter of  La  Salle's  tragic  career.     It  would  seem  as  if 


i;«  1 


<  -i 


I,  I. 


", 


2IO 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE. 


I  ij 


i^l:';^ 


the  long-continued  nervous  strain  had  told  at  last, 
even  on  his  strong,  self-contained  nature.  His  im- 
perious and  haughty  manner  had  always  been  one  of 
the  drawbacks  to  his  success,  but  now  he  seemed  to 
become  suspicious  and  vacillating,  as  well  as  exact- 
ing and  impatient.  He  appeared  unable  to  make  up 
his  mind  as  to  his  course  before  starting,  and  there 
were  unhappy  bickerings  between  him  and  the  naval 
commander  D^  Beaujeu,  a  somewhat  irascible  old 
seaman  tenacious  of  his  dignity,  while  La  Salle  could 
not  endure  a  divided  command.  Misfortune,  as  usual, 
seemed  to  pursue  him.  At  St.  Domingo,  where  they 
halted,  he  was  seized  with  a  dangerous  illness,  aggra- 
vated by  the  news  of  the  loss  of  one  of  his  smaller 
vessels. 

When  the  expedition  reached  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  La 
Salle  unhappily  missed  the  point  where  the  Mississippi 
by  several  passages  flows  out  into  the  Gulf.  Uncertain 
as  to  the  longitude  of  the  river  he  passed  it  by  some 
four  hundred  miles,  and  halted  instead  on  the  shore 
of  Matagorda  Bay.  Here  he  landed  his  men,  and 
thinking  he  had  reached  his  goal,  prepared  to  estab- 
lish the  colony.  To  complete  the  tale  of  misfortune, 
another  vessel  was  wrecked  on  a  reef,  and  ere  long 
the  large  gunship,  the  Joly,  being  out  of  supplies, 
was  obliged  to  sail  away. 

When  La  Salle  finally  discovered  his  mistake,  he 
found  it  necessary  to  form  a  temporary  establishment 
for  the  colonists  at  the  mouth  of  the  Texan  river 
Lavaca,  where  the  colonizing  party  were  lodged  in 
huts  and  hovels,  while  many  of  them  fell  victims  to 
disease  and  death  under  the  burning  tropical  sun. 

In  the  following  October,  La  Salle  with  his  brother 


THE  STORY  OF  ROBERT  PE  LA  SALLE.        21 1 


last, 
s  im- 
ne  of 
led  to 
exact- 
,ke  up 
1  there 
;  naval 
>le   old 
a  could 
5  usual, 
re  they 
,  aggra- 
smaller 

xico,  La 
ssissippi 
ncertain 
by  some 
le  shore 
len,  and 
0  estab- 
fortune, 
re  long 
upplies, 

jtake,  he 
lishment 
tan  river 
)dged  in 
[ctims  to 

sun. 
brother 


the  Abbd  and  an  armed  party,  set  out  in  quest  of  his 
"fatal  river,"  but  in  March  he  and  his  men  returned 
exhausted,  after  fruitless  wanderings  and  adventures 
with  savage  tribes.  This  vain  journey,  added  to 
the  loss  of  his  last  vessel,  threw  him  into  another 
dangerous  illness.  But  on  his  recovery,  still  un- 
daunted, he  determined  to  make  another  attempt  to 
find  his  way  back  to  Canada  by  the  Mississippi  and 
the  Illinois,  to  procure  succor  for  the  destitute 
colony.  He  set  out  again  in  April,  i686,  with  about 
twenty  of  his  men  fitted  out  for  the  expedition 
in  garments  patched  with  much  care,  or  borrowed 
from  those  who  remained  in  the  fort.  They  were 
obliged,  however,  to  return  without  other  result  than 
the  exploring  of  a  magnificent  country,  and  a  visit 
to  a  powerful  and  remarkable  tribe  of  Indians,  called 
the  Cenis,  long  since  extinct. 

La  Salle's  colonists,  now  reduced  to  forty-five,  had 
grown  heartsick  and  impatient  of  their  long  exile 
and  imprisonment  in  the  little  palisaded  village  ;  and 
the  only  hope  of  deliverance  lay  in  another  attempt 
to  procure  aid  from  Canada.  But  again  La  Salle 
was  prostrated  by  illness  —  doubtless  the  outcome  of 
the  many  "  heart-breaks  "  of  his  life!  As  soon  as 
his  strength  was  restored,  however,  he  prepared  once 
more  to  turn  his  steps  northward.  With  about  half 
of  the  survivors  —  some  twenty-five  men  —  La  Salle 
for  the  last  time  left  the  fort,  after  a  solemn  religious 
service,  and  a  sad  and  affectionate  farewell  of  the 
little  party  left  behind. 

La  Salle  had  long  endured  undaunted  **  the  slings 
and  arrows  of  outrageous  fortune."  One  other, 
which  released  him  from  all,  was  in  store  for  him. 


i^,mn;Rj/- 


THE  STORY  Oh  ROBERT  DE  LA   SALLE. 


The  career  of  heroic  perseverance,  which  neither  sav- 
age nature,  nor  illness,  nor  Indian  barbarians,  nor  the 
persecution  of  bitter  enemies  had  been  able  to  turn 
aside,  was  to  be  prematurely  cut  short  by  a  wretched 
quarrel  among  his  own  followers.  In  March,  as  he 
and  his  party  were  encamped  in  the  northern  part  of 
Texas,  a  few  of  his  men  set  out  on  a  hunting  expe- 
dition. A  dispute  arising  about  the  division  of  their 
game,  three  of  the  men  were  murdered  by  the  rest, 
who  then  saw  no  chance  of  safety  from  punishment, 
except  in  the  death  of  their  brave  leader. 

On  March  19,  1687,  La  Salle,  uneasy  at  the  long 
absence  of  the  hunters,  set  out  in  search  of  them. 
As  he  walked  on  with  the  Friar  Donay  through  the 
Texan  wilderness,  the  spiritual  world  seemed  to  be 
uppermost  in  his  thoughts.  "  All  the  way,"  wrote 
the  friar,  "  he  spoke  to  me  of  nothing  but  matters  of 
piety,  grace  and  predestination,  enlarging  on  the  debt 
Yz  owed  to  God,  who  had  saved  him  from  so  many 
perils  during  more  than  twenty  years  of  travel  in 
America."  Suddenly  he  seemed  overwhelmed  by  a 
profound  and  unaccountable  sadness.  Recovering 
from  this  his  keen  eye  noticed  two  eagles  circling  in 
the  air  as  if  attracted  by  some  carcass.  He  fired  his 
gun  as  a  signal  to  any  of  his  men  who  might  be 
within  hearing,  and  immediately  after  one  of  the  con- 
spirators appeared  and  answered  his  inquiries  with 
ostentatious  insolence.  La  Salle  rebuked  him,  and 
unconsciously  drew  near  an  ambuscade  from  which  a 
traitor  called  Duhaut,  fired  on  him,  and  the  dauntless 
leader  fell  dead.  Thus,  by  the  bullet  of  a  treacher- 
ous assassin,  was  closed  the  tragic  career  of  one  of 
the  most  heroic  spirits  of  an  heroic  age,  who,  against 


THE  STOKY  OF  ROBERT  DE  LA   SALLE. 


213 


•  sav- 
r  the 

turn 
tched 
as  he 
art  of 

expe- 
:  their 
e  rest, 
iment, 

le  long 
:  them, 
igh  the 
i  to  be 
'  wrote 
otters  of 
the  debt 
o  many 
ravel  in 
ed  by  a 
;overing 
|cUng  in 
red  his 
ight  be 
|the  con- 
tes  with 
im,  and 
which  a 
launtless 
reacher- 
one  of 
,  against 


all  odds,  had  pursued  for  twenty  years  an  object  that 
seemed  ever  destined  to  elude  him  just  as  he  was  on 
the  point  of  achieving  success.  The  recital  would 
seem  almost  too  sad,  but  for  the  light  of  heroic 
endurance  that  shines  upon  his  story. 

The  assassin  Duhaut,  by  a  righteous  retribution, 
soon  after  met  a  similar  death.  La  Salle's  compan- 
ions at  length  succeeded  in  making  their  way  to  the 
faithful  Tonti,  who  still  occupied  the  rock  of  St. 
Louis  on  the  Illinois. 

The  brave  and  generous  Tonti,  as  chivalrous  as 
La  Salle  himself,  full  of  grief  for  his  leader,  made  an 
ineffectual  attempt  to  reach  and  rescue  the  wretched 
survivors  of  the  colony  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  who 
eventually  fell  victims  to  a  murdering  band  of  Indians, 
in  the  total  absence  of  the  succor  which  the  "  Mag- 
nificent "  Louis  could  so  easily  have  afforded  to  these 
ill-fated  victims  of  his  ambition. 

Fort  Frontenac  figured  repeatedly  in  the  troublous 
times  which  were  now  hanging  over  New  France,  and 
was  the  scene  of  an  infamous  act  of  treachery  by  the 
Governor  De  Denonville,  which  provoked  the  terrible 
massacre  of  Lachine.  Its  final  capture  by  the  Eng- 
lish was  one  of  the  chief  causes  which  led  to  the 
conquest  of  Canada. 

La  Salle  fell  in  the  midst  of  unfulfilled  designs, 
but  where  he  had  gone  before  others  were  to  follow 
and  reap  the  results  of  his  labors.  Some  twenty 
years  later,  under  happier  auspices,  Le  Moyne  d' Iber- 
ville founded  the  present  State  of  Louisiana,  which 
still  stands  in  its  largely  French  character,  a  monu- 
ment to  the  heroism  and  devotion  of  its  first  French 
explorers. 


m 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  HEROINE  OF  CASTLE  DANGEROUS. 


WE  have  already  seen  much  of  the  devoted 
heroism  called  forth  by  the  severe  struggle 
for  existence  waged  against  such  terrjble  odds,  by 
the  early  colonists  of  Canada.  Daulac  at  the  Long 
Sault,  the  dauntless  La  Salle  —  the  brave  leaders  of 
the  three  war  parties,  and  the  determined  men  who 
stood  upon  the  heights  of  Quebec,  hurling  defiance 
at  the  New  England  fleet,  as  we  shall  see  —  were 
worthy  of  their  country.  The  women  were  not 
much  behind  the  men  in  courage,  and  were  very  often 
able  te  handle  a  musket  to  good  effect  against  their 
foes. 

Foremost  among  the  heroines  of  New  France 
stands  Madeleine  Verch^res,  the  daughter  of  a  seign- 
ior living  about  twenty  miles  from  Montreal,  on  the 
south  side  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  His  seigniory  was 
directly  in  the  way  of  the  Iroquois,  as  they  marched 
against  the  settlers ;  and,  subject  as  it  was  to  con- 
stant attack,  it  was  called  the  *  Castle  Dangerous " 
of  Canada.  This  seigniory,  like  the  others,  was  a 
large  tract  of  land,  partially  cleared,  on  which  lived 
the  seignior  and  his  tenant  farmers.  For  protection 
they  all  resided  in  a  fort  with  four  bastions,  and  a 
large,  strong  block-house,  connected  with  it  by  a  cov- 
ered passage.     In  this  block-house  the  women  and 

ai4 


THE  HEROINE  OF  CASTLE  DANGEROUS.      215 


roted 

s.  by 
Long 
;rs  of 
1  who 
fiance 
-were 
e    not 
[r  often 
tlieir 

'ranee 
seign- 
)n  the 
ry  was 
irched 

0  con- 
jrous 

was  a 

1  lived 
ection 
and  a 
a  cov- 
n  and 


children  might  take  refuge,  while  the  men  in  the  fort 
defended  them,  or,  in  case  of  their  being  driven  from 
the  latter,  the  block-house  would  serve  as  a  place  of 
refuge  for  all.  To  the  right  and  left  of  this  fortified 
post,  they  cleared  tracts  of  land  running  along  the 
river ;  always  within  a  short  distance  of  the  strong- 
hold, both  by  land  and  water.  In  case  of  a  surprise 
but  a  few  minutes  need  elapse  before  all  the  men 
working  in  the  fields  could  be  under  cover. 

Madeleine  Verch^res  was  not  the  first  woman  who 
distinguished  herself  in  this  fort.  Two  years  before 
the  time  of  this  story,  her  mother,  with  three  or  four 
men,  had  nobly  defended  the  place  against  a  numer- 
ous party  of  Iroquois  until  relieved  by  a  detachment 
of  French  troops.  By  inheritance  and  family  tradi- 
tion, she  seemed  born  to  the  heroism  she  displayed 
at  a  moment  of  deadly  peril  to  herself  and  others. 

One  sunny  morning  late  in  October  of  1692,  as  the 
farmers  were  going,  by  land  or  by  boat,  to  their  little 
open  patches  either  to  clear  new  fields  or  to  break  up 
the  soil  with  their  rude  ploughs,  the  fair  young 
daughter  of  Seignior  Vercheres,  a  little  maid  of 
fourteen  years,  came  out  of  the  gate  of  the  fort.  Ac- 
companied by  a  servant,  she  proceeded  to  the  little 
landing  place  by  the  river.  She  was  expecting  a 
visitor.  Madame  Fontaine,  a  young  French  woman 
from  Paris,  had  lately  joined  her  husband  at  the  set- 
tlement ;  and  since  hei  arrival  Madeleine  had  enjoyed  • 
a  few  pleasant  days  of  feminine  companionship  in 
the  lonely  Canadian  wilds.  She  had  invited  her 
visitor  to  remain  all  day  with  her  at  the  fort,  of  which 
she  was  in  charge,  her  father  being  in  Quebec  and 
her  mother  on  a  visit  to  Montreal 


2l6       THE  HEROINE  OF  CASTLE  DANGEROUS. 


f. 


M! 


'  1 


4 


Impatient  to  meet  her  friend,  she  went  down  to 
the  river  to  watch  for  her  arrival.  As  she  stood  by 
the  broad,  placid  stream,  she  seemed  much  out  of 
place  in  that  rude  waste.  Her  delicate,  active  figure, 
soft,  spirituelle  face  —  intelligent  forehead,  brilliant 
eyes  and  well-cut  lips  —  all  bespoke  gentle  breeding. 
But  on  closer  observation  one  could  easily  see  that 
the  fragile  young  form  was  sustained  by  a  very  strong 
will. 

"  Laviolette,"  she  ?aid  to  the  serving  man  as  they 
stood  on  the  little  pier,  "  is  that  Monsieur  Fontaine's 
boat  I  see  coming  down  the  river } " 

"  Mais  NoHy  Mademoiselle  ;  that  is  one  of  the  men 
going  to  his  farm.  I  do  not  think  MonsieurFontaine 
will  be  here  for  some  time." 

Scarcely  had  he  spoken  when  the  report  of  a  gun 
in  the  distance  arrested  their  attention. 

"  Laviolette,"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  wish  you  would 
go  to  that  little  hillock,  and  see  if  you  can  find  out 
why  that  gun  was  fired." 

The  man  went  as  directed,  while  Madeleine  anx- 
iously awaited  his  return.  In  a  few  minutes  he  came 
rushing  down  the  slope,  crying  out,  "  Run,  Mademoi- 
selle !  the  Iroquois  !  the  Iroquois  !  " 

Turning  round,  she  saw  some  fifty  oi  the  dreaded 
foe  not  many  yards  off.  Offering  up  a  hurried  prayer, 
she  fled  to  the  fort.  The  Iroquois  hoped  to  take  her 
alive,  but  seeing  that  she  was  to^  fleet  for  them  and 
was  likely  to  escape,  they  began  to  fire.  Happily, 
however,  their  buileis  failed  to  take  effect.  As  soon 
as  she  was  within  hailing  distance  of  the  fort,  she 
bravely  began  to  cry  out  "  Atix  armes  !  aux  armes  !  " 
But  the  inmates  were  paralyzed  with  fear,  and  did 


\:% 


THE  HEROINE   OF  CASTLE  DANGEROUS.       217 


not  heed  her  cries.  On  reaching  the  gate,  she  met 
two  women,  loudly  lamenting  their  husbands  who  had 
just  been  killed  ;  and  Madeleine,  knowing  that  they 
too  would  be  slain  if  they  remained  outside, 
promptly  ordered  them  in,  and  closed  the  gate  against 
the  advancing  foe.  With  the  experience  gained  from 
her  brave  father  and  heroic  mother,  she  at  once  took 
command  and  hastened  to  look  to  the  defense.  On 
examining  the  walls,  she  found  some  of  the  palisades 
thrown  down,  leaving  spaces  through  which  the 
enemy  could  make  an  easy  entrance.  She  at  once 
ordered  them  to  be  set  up  again,  with  all  haste,  help- 
ing the  men  to  carry  them  into  position  herself. 

Having  filled  up  the  breaches,  she  hurried  to  the 
block-house,  where  the  ammunition  and  arms  were 
kept,  and  found  the  only  two  soldiers  in  the  place 
hiding,  terror-stricken,  from  the  foe.  One  of  them, 
named  La  Bont^  was  standing  near  the  powder  with 
a  lighted  match  in  his  hand.  Madeleine,  seeing  him, 
cried  out,  "What  are  you  going  to  do  with  that 
match.  La  Bonte  "i  " 

"  Light  the  powder  and  blow  us  all  up  and  save  us 
from  the  fiendish  torture  of  the  Iroquois  !  "  said  the 
man  sullenly. 

"  You  are  a  miserable  coward  ! "  she  cried  ;  and 
dashing  the  match  to  the  ground,  angrily  stamped 
out  the  flame.  She  then  ordered  La  Bont6  and  his 
comrade  Gachet  to  leave  the  block-house  and  go  to 
the  defense  of  the  fort.  Inspired  by  her  words  and 
awed  by  her  dauntless  bearing,  they  at  once  obeyed. 
Throwing  off  her  bonnet  she  put  on  a  hat,  and,  tak- 
ing a  gun,  said  to  her  two  brothers  —  Louis,  a  boy  of 
twelve,  and  Alexander,  a  little  fellow  of  ten  —  "  Let 


i 


:'.   I 

I. 


;'4\ 


■  i" 

ll 


H\ 


2i8       THE  HEROINE  OF  CASTLE  DANGEROUS. 


m-i 


us  fight  to  the  death.  We  are  fighting  for  our 
country  and  our  religion  !  Remember  that  our  father 
has  taught  you  that  gentlemen  are  born  to  shed  their 
blood  for  the  service  of  God  and  the  king !  "  With 
these  words  the  three  young  warriors  went  to  join 
the  other  defenders  o^  the  fort. 

The  Iroquois  \/ere  .  tanding  at  some  distance,  par- 
leying as  to  what  it  would  be  best  to  do.  They  did 
not  know  that  the  fort  contained  but  two  soldiers,  a 
serving  man,  two  boys,  ?."  old  man  of  eighty,  and  a 
number  of  women  i-uu  (  .  Idren  ;  and  that  the  com- 
mandant was  a  girl  of  kt;  -CM.  Had  they  known 
they  would  cer'-^inly  h-^ive  ru:ht\i  upon  it  and  made 
short  work  of  the  inmai-es 

While  they  were  debating  wnac  nse  to  follow, 
Madeleine  inspired  her  men  with  sufficient  valor  to 
begin  fire  fron  the  loopholes  ;  and  she  and  her  two 
brothers  did  good  work  with  their  weapons.  Louis 
and  Alexander,  although  so  young,  were  not  inexpe- 
rienced with  fire-arms,  and  many  a  squirrel,  partridge 
and  rabbit  had  they  brought  down;  but  they  had 
never  before  fired  at  human  beings.  However,  as 
they  took  aim  at  the  savages  their  courage  did  not 
fail  them.  They  were  born  soldiers.  The  only  tales 
that  had  enlivened  the  long  winter  evenings  in  their 
Canadian  home  were  stories  of  heroic  adventure, 
and  their  eager  young  hearts  had  been  longing  for 
such  an  occasion.  Inspired  by  their  daring  sister, 
they  made  good  use  of  the  opportunity. 

Madeleine,  knowing  that  many  laborers  were  in  the 
surrounding  fields  and  forests,  ordered  the  only 
cannon  of  the  fort  to  be  fired  to  warn  them  of  the 
danger.     When  the  Iroquois  heard  the  report  of  this 


THE  HEROINE  OF  CASTLE  DANGEROUS.       219 


cannon,  and  saw  the  ground  torn  up  by  the  shower 
of  bullets  that  fell  near  them,  they  gave  up  the  idea 
of  openly  taking  the  stronghold,  but  determined  to 
try  to  take  it  by  stealth. 

Giving  up  the  attack,  the  yelling  demons  went 
rushing  through  the  fields  in  search  of  the  settlers 
who  might  be  in  hiding  ;  and  the  watchers  in  the  fort 
saw  not  a  few  of  their  friends  fall  before  the  bloody 
tomahawks.  The  women  within,  some  of  whose 
husbands  were  being  thus  ruthlessly  murdered,  began 
to  utter  heart-rending  shrieks.  Madeleine,  fearing 
lest  their  cries  would  reach  the  enemy  and  lead  them 
to  believe  the  fort  but  weakly  manned,  ordered  them 
to  stop.  She  drew  a  picture  of  the  terrible  cruelties 
the  Indians  would  wreak  on  them  if  they  should  be 
captured  ;  and  the  poor  women,  paralyzed  with  fear, 
ceased  their  outcries  of  grief. 

But  very  soon  a  canoe  was  seen  approaching  the 
landing  place,  which,  on  closer  observation,  proved 
to  be  the  Fontaine  family.  The  warm  hearted  girl 
was  filled  with  alarm  as  she  saw  them  approaching. 
If  the  Iroquois  were  to  observe  them  they  would  fall 
an  .easy  prey.  She  tried  to  devise  some  way  of  sav- 
ing them.  At  last  she  determined  to  send  some  one 
out  to  warn  them,  thinking  that  the  Iroquois,  seeing 
any  one  boldly  leave  the  gate,  would  imagine  it  a 
ruse  to  beguile  them  within  range  of  the  muskets, 
and  especially  of  the  much-dreaded  cannon,  and 
would  not  come  to  the  attack. 

She  tried  to  persuade  La  Bont6  and  Gachet  to  go 
to  the  river ;  but  they  dreaded  the  scalping  knives  of 
the  Iroquois  too  much  to  undertake  such  a  task,  and 
Madeleine  decided  to  go  herself.     She  posted   her 


I 


'Ml 


i  i 


*  'm 


nr-  i 


>  'I 


;H  '■    '  i!| 


'i '' 


r 


220      THE  HEROINE  OF  CASTLE  DANGEROUS. 

servant  Laviolette  at  the  gate,  and  bravely  started 
for  the  river.     The  Iroquois  were  misled,  as  she  ex- 
pected, and  did  not  molest  her,  and  she  succeeded 
in  getting  the  Fontaine  family  safely  within  the  fort. 
All  through  the  bright  October  day  a  careful  watch 
was  kept,  and  every  time  an  enemy  showed  himself, 
a  shot  followed.     An  occasional  yell  of  pain  told  that 
the  fire  was  not  altogether  ineffectual.     As  the  sun 
was   setting    a   sudden   change   took   place   in   the 
weather.     A  cold,  piercing,  northeast  wind  began  to 
blow,  and  dark,  leaden-hued  clouds  covered  the  skies, 
heralding  a  snow-storm.     Very  soon  a  blinding  snow 
and  hail  storm  came  up  and  the  air  grew  ominously 
dark.    Madeleine,  fearing  that  the  Iroquois  would  try 
to  enter  the  fort  under  the  cover  of  the  darkness, 
prepared  with  a  veteran's  foresight  to  post  her  sen- 
tries.    She  assembled  her  little  company  of  six  —  the 
two  soldiers,  Pierre  Fontaine,  the  old  man  of  eighty, 
and   her   two   brothers  —  and   earnestly    addressed 
them  in  the  encouraging  words :  **  God  has  saved  us 
to-day  from  the  hands  of  our  enemies,  but  we  must 
take  care  not  to  fall,  into  their  snares  to-night.     As 
for  me,  I  want  you  to  see  that  I  am  not  afraid.     I 
will  take  charge  of  the  fort,  with  an  old  man  of  eighty, 
and  another  who  never  fired  a  gun  ;  and  you,  Pierre 
Fontaine,  with  La  Bont6  and  Gachet,  will  go  to  the 
block-house  with  our  women  and  children,  because 
that  is  the  strongest  place.     And,"  she  continued, 
with  a  look  of  determination  brightening  her  young 
face,  "if  I  am  taken,  don't  surrender,  even  if  I  am 
cut  to  pieces  and  burned  before  your  eyes  !     The 
enemy  cannot  hurt  you  in  the  block-house  if  you  make 
the  least  show  of  fight." 


THE  HEROINE  OF  CASTLE   DANGEROUS.       221 


)ung 

am 

The 

take 


After  listening  to  her  inspiring  words  the  three  men 
went  to  the  block-house  ;  and  Madeleine,  with  her  two 
manly  young  brothers  and  the  old  man,  took  up  posi- 
tions on  the  bastions.  Every  few  minutes  the  words 
"  All's  well !  "  were  passed  from  fort  to  block-house. 

As  soon  as  darkness  came  on,  the  Iroquois  called 
a  council  and  began  planning  a  night  attack  on  the 
palisades.  In  the  middle  of  their  consultations  the 
cry  "  All's  well ! "  was  carried  to  their  ears.  So 
often  and  regularly  was  this  cry  repeated,  that  they 
began  to  imagine  the  fort  full  of  watchful  soldiers, 
and  had  not  courage  enough  to  try  to  enter  it. 

About  one  in  the  morning  the  old  man  on  the  bas- 
tion near  the  gate  cried  out,  "  Mademoiselle,  I  hear 
something  ! "  Madeleine  left  her  post  at  once  and 
went  to  him.  Carefully  peering  through  the  dark- 
ness she  saw  some  of  the  cattle  which  had  escaped 
the  marauders.  Her  friends,  knowing  that  they 
would  need  the  poor  beasts  if  the  siege  lasted  for  any 
time,  would  at  once  have  opened  the  gates  to  admit 
them  ;  but  Madeleine,  with  the  prudence  she  had  dis- 
played since  the  arrival  of  the  enemy,  would  not  at 
first  consent.  Aware  of  the  cunning  of  the  Iroquois, 
she  feared  that  they  might  be  following  the  cattle, 
covered  with  skins  of  slain  beasts.  However,  after 
carefully  observing  the  movements  of  the  animals, 
she  thought  she  might  let  them  in  without  risk. 
Before  opening  the  gates,  she  posted  her  two  young 
brothers  with  their  guns  at  the  entrance,  to  fire  upon 
any  one  who  might  be  concealed  among  the  cattle. 
Happily  her  suspicions  were  groundless,  and  the 
animals  came  in  safely  without  any  disguised  Iroquois 
among  them.     All  once  more  took  up  their  positions 


I.?; 


-n, 


:'■  *l 


i:    II 


'Mf'^-j 


1^  •'■ 


'!■     i^ 


I  ill 


222       r//E  HEROINE  OF  CASTLE  DANGEROUS. 

on  the  towers,  and,  through  the  rest  of  the  dark, 
cold,  dismal  morning  the  cheery  watchword  "  All's 
well ! "  was  carried  to  the  ears  of  the  disappointed 
and  astonished  Iroquois. 

With  the  rising  sun  the  hopes  of  the  besieged  rose, 
as  they  felt  that  another  day  might  pass  without  any 
serious  misfortune.  Madame  Fontaine  was  the  only 
timid  member  of  the  party,  and  the  nearness  of  the 
foe  so  terrified  her  that  she  earnestly  begged  her 
husband  to  steal  away  with  her  to  some  other  fort. 
He,  however,  was  so  influenced  by  Madeleine's  brave 
conduct,  that  he  declared  his  intention  of  remaining 
in  the  fort  as  long  as  she  saw  fit  to  hold  out  against 
the  Indians.  Madeleine  replied  that  she  would  rather 
die  than  give  it  up  to  the  enemy.  She  cheered  and 
comforted  Madame  Fontaine,  whom  she  pitied  as 
being  "a  Parisian  woman,"  and  therefore  unfamiliar 
with  such  perils ;  and  the  girl  of  fourteen  soon  suc- 
ceeded in  allaying  the  fears  of  the  terrified  woman. 
All  day  she  went  from  the  bastions  to  the  block-house, 
keeping  a  careful  watch  and  encouraging  all  within 
by  her  smiling  face  and  cheering  words.  The  two 
soldiers,  who  had  at  first  proved  themselves  such 
cowards,  were  now  inspired  by  their  noble  little  com- 
mander's example,  and  aided  materially  in  soothing 
the  fears  of  the  women  and  children  left  to  their  care. 

For  a  week  the  siege  continued  ;  and  during  that 
time  Madeleine  took  but  hasty  meals,  and,  like  the 
brave  little  warrior  she  was,  contented  herself  with 
brief  naps  at  a  table  ;  pillowing  her  head  on  her  arms 
folded  over  her  gun,  so  as  to  be  ready  for  action  on 
the  shortest  notice.  Her  two  young  brothers  emu- 
lated her  in  all  things,  and  never  once  faltered  or  dis- 


THE  HEROINE  OF  CASTLE  DANGEROUS.       223 


rose, 
:  any 
only 
[  the 
[  her 
fort, 
brave 
ining 
jainst 
ather 
d  and 
ed   as 
miliar 
suc- 
man. 
ouse, 
ithin 
e  two 
such 
corn- 
thing 
care, 
that 
e  the 
with 
arms 
n  on 
emu- 
r  dis- 


played signs  of  fear.  The  Iroquois  now  and  then 
showed  themselves,  but  never  found  the  French  un- 
watchful,  and  a  hastily  discharged  musket  warned 
them  to  keep  carefully  under  cover. 

But  the  urgently  needed  succor  was  already  on  its 
way.  A  few  of  the  laborers  in  the  fields  had  nxan- 
aged  to  escape  the  foe,  and  carried  to  Montreal  the 
sad  news  of  the  massacre  and  of  the  weak  state  of 
Seigniory  Verch^res.  The  governor,  Monsieur  de 
Callidres,  dispatched  Lieutenant  de  la  Monnerie, 
with  forty  men,  to  the  scene  of  the  conflict.  On 
the  seventh  day  of  the  siege,  about  one  in  the  morn- 
ing, the  boy  Alexander  heard  voices  and  the  splash- 
ing of  paddles  on  the  river  and  promptly  cried  out 
"  Qui  vive  !  "  Madeleine,  on  hearing  the  cry,  rose 
from  the  table  at  which  she  was  taking  a  short  sleep, 
and  went  to  the  bastion.  Her  brother  told  her  he 
had  heard  what  he  thought  to  be  voices  speaking 
their  language.  Madeleine,  hearing  the  voices,  cried 
out  "  Who  are  you  ?  "  and  the  glad  news  was  carried 
to  her  ears,  "  We  are  Frenchmen  ;  it  is  La  Monnerie 
who  comes  to  bring  you  help."  Madeleine,  overjoyed 
by  the  good  tidings,  rushed  down  from  the  bastion 
and  gladdened  the  hearts  of  all  within  the  block- 
house. They  need  no  longer  despair.  Help  was, 
even  now,  before  the  walls. 

Madeleine,  after  posting  a  sentry,  opened  the  gates 
and  went  down  to  the  river  to  meet  her  countrymen. 
On  seeing  Monsieur  de  la  Monnerie  she  saluted  him 
with  the  dignity  of  a  soldier  and  said  :  "  Monsieur,  I 
surrender  to  you  my  arms."  The  gallant  La  Mon- 
nerie smilingly  replied,  "  Mademoiselle,  they  are  in 
good  hands ! "     Entering  the  fort  he  examined  it  and 


I 


i 


i 


Sf,  ' 


224       r///i   llEROmE  OF  CASTLE  DANGEROUS. 

found  everything  in  good  order.  He  at  once  relieved 
the  worn-ont  sentinels  on  the  bastions.  When  he 
learned  the  story  of  the  siege  and  the  gallant  con- 
duct of  Madeline  his  heart  bounded  with  admiration 
as  he  gazed  at  his  heroic  little  countrywoman  and 
her  two  boy-brothers. 

Next  morning  a  sally  was  made  on  the  Iroquois 
who  now  learned  of  the  reinforcement.  Seeing  that 
they  had  no  chance  against  this  strong  French  force 
they  hurriedly  made  preparations  for  departure,  tak- 
ing with  them  about  twenty  prisoners. 

Shortly  after  their  departure  for  their  own  terri- 
tory, a  band  of  friendly  Indians  from  Saut  St.  Louis 
visited  Seigniory  Verch^res,  and  learning  of  the 
attack  hastened  on  the  trail  of  the  retreating  foe  and 
succeeded  in  overtaking  them  and  surprising  them 
resting  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Champlain.  A  brief 
battle  ensued.  Many  of  the  Iroquois  were  slain  and 
the  rest  put  to  flight,  leaving  behind  their  prisoners, 
who  joyfully  returned  to  their  sorrowing  friends. 

La  Monnerie  sent  an  elaborate  report  of  Made- 
leine's heroism  to  the  Governor  of  Montreal  and  to 
her  father  who  was  on  duty  at  Quebec.  Monsieur 
de  Verch^res  obtained  leave  of  absence,  and  joining 
his  wife  in  Montreal,  they  returned  to  their  homes  to 
rejoice  over  their  two  brave  little  sons  and  their  lion- 
hearted  young  daughter.  This  brave  girl  developed 
into  as  brave  a  woman,  and  appeared  as  the  heroine 
of  another  adventure  with  the  Iroquois,  when,  rifle 
in  hand,  she  gallantly  saved  the  life  of  Monsieur  de 
la  Perade,  who  afterward  became  the  husband  of  his 
brave  preserver.  She  is  still  known  in  Canadian  his- 
tory as  the  Heroine  of  Castle  Dangerous. 


'  i 


eved 
n  he 
con- 
ation 
t  and 

iquois 

y  that 

force 

2,  tak- 

terri- 
Louis 
Df   the 
oe  and 
r  them 
\  brief 
lin  and 
soners, 
is. 

Made- 
and  to 
msieur 
oining 
|mes  to 
lir  lion- 
'eloped 
eroine 
[n,  rifle 
eur  de 
of  his 
Ian  his- 


CHAPTER   IV. 


THE   THREE    WAR-PARTIES. 


FOR  more  than  a  century  after  the  first  Euro- 
peans landed  in  America,  the  two  divisions  of 
the  continent  —  the  north  settled  by  the  French  and 
the  south  held  by  the  English  and  Dutch  —  remained 
at  peace. 

Both  sides,  indeed,  had  enough  to  do  in  contend- 
ing with  the  natural  difficulties  of  the  new  Ian  1  and 
with  its  natives,  without  fighting  each  other.     This 
peaceable  state   of  affairs  could  not  last.     Though 

e  continent  was  much  larger  than  the  whole  of 
Europe,  the  few  thousands  that  sought  Si, alter  on  it 
were  too  soon  to  become  jealous  of  one  another's 
power  and  territory. 

No  minerals  of  value  had  yet  been  discovered  by 
explorers,  and  as  none  of  the  colonists  were  in  a 
position  to  carry  on  extensive  lumber  operations,  the 
fur  trade  was  the  only  means  of  earning  a  livelihood. 
As  this  trade  was  carried  on  almost  entirely  with  the 
Indians,  both  were  anxious  to  be  on  friendly  terms 
with  them,  and  each  made  a  great  effort  to  secure  a 
monopoly  of  their  trade. 

From  the  first  the  Indians  appear  to  have  split 
into  two  great  parties  ;  the  one  siding  with  the 
French  and  the  other,  up  to  the  time  of  the  present 
story,  almost   steadily  unfaltering  in  their  alliance 

22$ 


i|!: 


336 


THE    THREE    WAR-PARTIES, 


If 


I     J 


><   I  -' 


with  the  English.  The  first  included  the  Abenaquis 
of  Maine,  the  Algonquins  of  the  Ottawa  Valley,  and 
the  Hurons ;  a  large  body  of  savages,  but  so  widely 
scattered  that  their  power  could  never  be  fully  ex- 
erted. The  tribe  that  clung  to  the  English  and 
Dutch  was  the  Iroquois  with  its  Five  Nations,  the 
Mohawks,  Oneidas,  Onondagas,  Cayugasand  Senecas. 
Although  occupying  but  a  comparatively  small 
region  to  the  south  of  Lake  Ontario,  yet  united 
they  were  too  much  for  their  enemies,  and,  one  by 
one,  their  red  brothers  had  to  give  way  to  their  victo- 
rious inroads.  The  Hurons,  at  first  a  much  more 
powerful  tribe  than  the  Iroquois,  the  Algonquins, 
the  Neutrals,  the  Eries  and  others,  all  retreated  from 
the  war-path,  never  again  to  take  up  arms  as  nations. 

At  first  the  French  and  English,  though  their 
friends  were  at  war,  took  no  active  part  in  the  strife, 
but  the  terrible  sufferings  and  deaths  that  were  met 
by  some  of  the  missionary  Jesuits  and  others  at  the 
hands  of  the  Iroquois,  roused  the  French,  who  deter- 
mined to  make  a  stand  against  the  persecutors  of 
their  allies.  They  asked  New  England  to  assist  them 
in  suppressing  the  enemy,  but  New  England  had  as 
yet  suffered  nothing  from  the  Five  Nations,  and  she 
refused  her  aid. 

Although  the  southern  colonies  did  not  feel  in- 
clined to  take  up  arms  in  behalf  of  the  French,  they 
still  showed  them  some  friendliness,  as  when  Jogues, 
the  heroic  Jesuit,  was  assisted  to  escape  from  the 
hands  of  his  tormentors,  as  well  as  on  several  similar 
occasions.  Besides  this,  the  French  were  constantly 
taking  advantage  of  the  better  prices  offered  m  the 
New  England  market  for  furs  to  carry  on  an  illicit 


THE    THREE    WAR-PARTIES. 


227 


fur  trade.  Even  some  of  the  governors  —  among 
others  Frontenac  —  were  accused  of  having  stained 
their  hands  by  such  dealings.  But  this  half-friendly 
feeling  was  soon  to  come  to  an  end. 

As  soon  as  the  Iroquois  had  put  all  their  red  ene- 
mies to  rout  they  turned  their  attention  to  the  French 
and  began  their  sudden  raids,  dealing  death  on  all 
sides.  From  Montreal  to  Quebec,  at  every  block- 
house, seigniory  and  village,  their  war-cries  were 
again  and  again  heard,  until  no  one  felt  safe.  The 
French  began  to  accuse  the  English  in  New  York  of 
having  stirred  up  the  Iroquois,  and  supplied  them 
with  arms  and  ammunition.  The  New  Yorkers  gave 
haughty  replies,  only  tending  to  widen  the  breach. 

The  Governor,  De  Courcelles,  determined  to  make 
a  bold  effort  to  conquer  the  Iroquois,  and,  collecting 
as  large  an  army  as  possible,  marched  into  their 
country,  devastating  it  before  him  and  laying  village 
after  village  in  ruins.  This  had  a  powerful  effect, 
and  for  a  time  the  Indians  were  more  wary  as  to  their 
attacks ;  but,  for  all  this,  the  relations  between  the 
Indians  and  French  became  one  long  endeavor  to 
patch  up  some  sort  of  a  peace  and,  in  the  endeavor, 
the  two  white  nations  were  widely  sundered. 

Frontenac,  De  La  Barre,  Denonville,  all  alike  in 
succession  tried  to  induce  the  Iroquois  to  desert  the 
English  and  become  their  friends.  In  this  they  were 
never  wholly  successful,  for  the  red  men,  at  every 
fitting  opportunity,  swept  down  upon  their  settle- 
ments and  too  often  returned  to  their  villages  with 
many  French  scalps  dangling  from  their  belts. 

Frontenac  was  the  most  skillful  in  handling  the 
savage  tribes,  and  by  his  diplomacy  might  have  es- 


ij 


«•  -X 


228 


THE   THREE   WAR-PARTIES. 


■'    3 
k 


\ 


!;!  'i"! 


iiii 


i' 


! 


tablished  a  peace  between  the  French,  English  and 
Iroquois;  but,  unfortunately,  he  was  just  then  re- 
called to  France.  De  La  Barre  and  Denonville,  who 
succeeded  him,  were  most  unsuccessful  both  in  their 
treaties  with  the  Indians  and  in  maintaining  the 
strength  of  the  colony  as  they  received  it  from  Fron- 
tenac.  One  evil  report  after  another  was  borne  across 
the  Atlantic  to  the  French  king,  who  began  to  feel 
that  he  had  made  a  mistake  in  recalling  Frontenac, 
and  he  was  sent  back  only  to  find  the  colony  he  had  so 
lately  left  greatly  weakened.  Rumors  were  rife  that 
an  invasion  of  Canada  was  being  planned  in  New 
England,  and  he  felt  his  only  chance  was  to  strike 
the  first  blow. 

It  was  autumn  when  the  vessel  that  carried  him 
back  to  the  eagerly  expectant  Canadians,  dropped 
anchor  at  Quebec.  On  landing,  he  was  at  once  in- 
formed of  the  uncertain  state  of  the  Iroquois  and  of 
successes  gained  over  the  friendly  tribes  by  the  New 
Englanders.  He  promptly  began  an  attempt  to 
reconcile  the  Iroquois  and  succeeded  in  winning  at 
least  a  portion  of  the  Five  Nations  —  the  Senecas  — 
to  his  standard,  although  the  eastern  nations  were 
still  strong  in  support  of  the  English. 

Knowing  that  the  English  would  suppose  that  the 
great  barriers  of  snowdrifts  and  ice-bound  rivers 
raised  by  the  winter's  storms  between  themselves  and 
the  French  gave  them  comparative  safety,  he  deter- 
mined to  take  them  by  surprise.  For  this  purpose 
he  called  together  his  best  marksmen  and  tried  sol- 
diers and  planned  with  some  of  the  friendly  Indians 
a  threefold  invasion  on  the  unsuspecting  foe. 

Frontenac  permitted  no  delay  in  getting  up  the 


THE    THREE    WAR-PARTIES. 


229 


parties  that  were  to  work  such  havoc  on  his  enemies, 
but  at  once  began  at  Montreal,  Three  Rivers  and 
Quebec  to  fit  them  out  for  their  winter  march. 
That  mustered  at  Montreal  was  the  first  ready,  and  at 
once  started  for  the  south.  The  party  was  made  up 
of  a  motley  crowd,  numbering  in  all  two  hundred 
and  ten  men.  It  was  composed  mainly  of  the  savage 
Senecas,  who  had  lately,  through  the  visits  of  De 
Courcelles  and  others,  the  Christianizing  influence  of 
the  Jesuit  missionaries  and  the  diplomacy  of  Fronte- 
nac,  become  able  allies  of  the  French.  Although 
they  were  called  Christians  by  the  Jesuits,  they  had 
little  of  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel  in  their  rude  un- 
tutored breasts,  and  were  scarcely  less  cruel  than 
when  in  the  heathen  state  ;  and  those  who  employed 
them  for  this  expedition  well  knew  how  little  mercy 
their  enemies  would  receive  at  their  hands. 

Next  in  number  to  the  Senecas  were  the  Coureurs 
des  Bois  or  "  Runners  of  the  Woods,"  who  were  but 
a  step  in  advance  of  the  civilization  of  their  Indian 
allies.  Their  life  in  the  lorest,  their  constant  associ- 
ation with  the  Indians,  leading  them  to  adopt  the 
savage  habits  of  life,  and  the  fact  that  they  were 
often  fugitives  from  justice,  all  tended  to  make  them 
hard,  cruel  and  reckless  to  the  suffering  they  caused. 

Besides  these  two  classes  of  men  there  was  yet 
another  and  one  very  far  removed  from  the  Indians 
and  Coureurs  des  Bois.  A  number  of  young  French 
nobles,  who  had  come  to  Canada  in  search  of  adven- 
ture and  fame,  found  in  these  expeditions  a  fitting 
opportunity  to  show  their  courage  and  eagerly  joined 
them.  This  mixture  of  mankind  was  somewhat  diffi- 
cult to  manage,  but  in  D'Aillebout,  de  Mantet  and 


;    i 


%n 


'>  i 


M 

ii 


if 


if  i  i 


230 


T//E   THREE   WAR-PARTIES, 


Mr; 


W(' 


]  n 


Hi :., 


Le  Moyne  de  Sainte-Hel^ne,  leaders  were  found 
fully  capable  of  controlling  the  expedition. 

About  Liid-winterthe  party  set  out  from  Montreal. 
They  made  a  picturesque  appearance  as  they  toiled 
along  on  their  snow-shoes,  the  hoods  of  their  blanket 
coats  drawn  over  their  heads  and  their  knives, 
hatchets  and  tobacco-pouches  slung  at  their  belts, 
braving  the  long  journey  and  the  bitter  cold  just  to 
inflict  devastation  and  death  and  then  retreat  home 
again.  As  they  traveled  southward  spring  approached, 
and  with  it  the  march  became  more  and  more  diffi- 
cult. The  heavy  falls  of  snow  now  became  slush 
that  clung  to  their  snow  shoes  in  such  a  way  as  to 
compel  them  to  abandon  their  use.  On  they  plodded 
through  the  slush,  knee-deep,  fearing  every  moment 
that  the  expedition  would  have  to  be  abandoned. 

At  last,  on  the  banks  of  Lake  Champlain,  they 
decided  to  halt  for  a  rest  and  to  consider  what  would 
be  the  best  course  to  pursue.  The  Indians,  when 
they  learned  that  their  commanders  intended  making 
Albany  their  destination,  began  to  murmur,  and 
many  of  the  Cotiretirs  des  Bois  joined  them  in  their 
protests  against  such  a  course.  The  march,  in  their 
present  condition,  was  almost  impossible,  and  besides 
their  party,  now  worn  out  with  toil,  would  be  no 
match  for  such  a  strongly  fortified  place  as  Albany, 
even  if  they  succeeded  in  taking  it  by  surprise. 
Mantet  and  Sainte-Hd^ne  recognized  the  wisdom  of 
directing  their  march  to  the  nearer  and  weaker  settle- 
ment of  Schenectady;  and,  without  telling  their  men 
positively  that  they  would  do  so,  when  they  came  to 
a  place  where  the  Albany  and  Schenectady  roads 
met,  they  without  further  notice  took  the  latter. 


THE    THREE    WAR-PARTIES. 


231 


The  terrible  march  was  continued,  making  daily 
but  little  progress  until  almost  within  sight  of  the 
Mohawk  River,  on  whose  bank  Schenectady  was 
built.  Suddenly  a  change  occurred  in  the  weather. 
The  hot  March  sun  that  had  been  melting  the  winter 
snows  disappeared  behind  a  cloud  ;  the  warm  south 
wind  changed  to  a  piercing  northeaster,  and  soon  the 
path  beneath  their  feet  hardened  before  the  crisp, 
frosty  air.  The  change  was  too  sudden.  They  were 
totally  unprepared  for  it  and  suffered  severely.  Their 
clothes,  soaked  by  the  rain  water,  now  hardened 
about  their  limbs.  The  snow,  turned  to  ice,  was 
almost  as  difficult  for  marching  as  when  there  was 
nothing  but  slush.  To  add  to  their  ills,  a  driving 
snowstorm  came  up,  beating  in  their  faces  and 
almost  blinding  them. 

Once  more  their  spirits  began  to  droop,  and,  after 
a  night  of  disheartening  suffering,  they  were  thinking 
that  perhaps  it  would  be  better  to  try  to  make  a 
friendly  approach  to  Schenectady,  when  one  of  their 
party  descried  through  the  storm  the  bluish-white 
smoke  of  a  wood-fire  rising  from  a  hut  in  the  dis- 
tance. At  sight  of  this  the  hopes  of  all  rose,  and 
with  eager  steps  they  hastened  toward  it. 

As  they  went  to  the  snow-covered  hut,  they  moved 
cautiously  in  order  to  surprise  the  inhabitants,  and 
keep  them  from  escaping  and  alarming  the  people  of 
Schenectady.  They  succeeded  so  well  in  this,  that 
they  reached  the  very  door  before  the  inmates  — four 
Mohawk  squaws  —  were  aware  of  their  approach. 
Eagerly  the  worn-out  party  crowded  into  the  hut  and 
heaped  wood  on  the  fire.  Their  feet  and  hands  were 
almost   frozen   and   the   walls   resounded  with   the 


!  i 


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.;.!: 


\; 


M 


232 


rJ/£   THREE   WAR-PARTIES. 


in 

If 


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stamping  of  benumbed  feet,  while  frost-bitten  cheeks 
and  limbs  were  vigorously  rubbed  with  snow. 

After  the  party  had  warmed  themselves,  the 
French  officers  took  the  opportunity  of  stirring  up 
their  followers  to  a  sense  of  the  greatness  of  their 
undertaking.  Speeches  were  made  by  both  French 
and  Indian  leaders,  that  acted  like  a  stimulating 
draught  on  the  blood  of  their  followers.  Even  if 
they  had  not  had  a  great  national  end  in  view,  the 
sufferings  endured  since  leaving  Montreal  was  enough 
to  make  them  eager  for  a  speedy  onset  on  the  enemy. 

After  a  brief  rest  they  determined  to  push  on  to 
their  goal.  The  frightened  squaws  were  compelled  to 
guide  them.  They  arrived  at  the  Mohawk  town  just 
as  darkness  was  wrapping  the  ice-bridged  river  in  its 
embrace,  and  here  a  halt  was  called.  As  Schenec- 
tady was  further  down  and  on  the  opposite  side,  a 
few  men  under  the  command  of  a  Canadian  named 
Gigni^res,  a  famous  scout  of  that  time,  were  sent  out 
to  reconnoitre.  In  several  hours'  time  they  returned 
with  a  very  encouraging  report.  No  one  was  on  the 
alert ;  not  a  single  sentinel  could  be  seen.  And  they 
added,  moreover,  that  sounds  of  music  and  laughter 
were  heard  within  the  palisades ;  as  if  the  people  of 
the  village  were  enjoying  themselves,  in  happy  igno- 
rance of  the  impending  danger. 

This  was  indeed  the  case.  The  inhabitants  of 
Schenectady  —  Dutch  people  now  under  English  rule 
—  through  their  long  freedom  from  attack  had 
become  careless.  There  was  a  division  of  opinion  in 
the  place,  and  while  the  wise  few  had  counselled 
watchfulness,  the  foolish  many,  as  is  too  often  the 
case,  had  laughed  them  to  scorn,  thrown  both  gates 


THE   THREE   WAR-PARTIES. 


a33 


of 
rule 
had 
n  in 
;lled 
the 
ates 


open  and,  in  mockery  of  their  desire  to  have  senti- 
nels posted,  molded  snow-men  and  set  them  up  at 
the  gates  with  sticks  by  their  sides  to  represent  guns. 
On  this  very  day  all  Schenectady  was  feasting,  to 
show  how  secure  they  felt  themselves  and  to  remind 
them  of  the  Fatherland. 

On  hearing  the  report  of  Gigni^res,  Mantet  and 
Sainte-H61^ne  at  first  determined  to  wait  until  after 
midnight  before  bursting  in  upon  the  village,  but  the 
piercing  cold  that  caused  discontent  among  their 
followers  changed  their  intention,  and  they  at  once 
recommenced  their  march  down  the  frozen  Mohawk. 
After  three  hours'  march,  the  walls  of  the  village  ap- 
peared, and  the  utmost  caution  was  used  not  to 
alarm  the  inhabitants. 

At  last  one  of  the  gates  was  reached.  The  party 
at  once  divided  into  two  halves,  the  one  under  Sainte- 
Hd^ne  going  to  the  right  in  single  file,  the  other, 
under  Mantet,  to  the  left,  until  the  two  met.  When 
the  leaders  faced  one  another  the  signal  was  given 
and  a  fiendish  shout  arose  from  the  throats  of  their 
followers.  The  people  of  Schenectady,  tired  with 
the  pleasures  of  the  day,  were  wrapped  in  deep  sleep ; 
but  at  this  cry  they  sprang  in  terror  to  their  feet, 
fathers  and  sons  rushing  for  their  weapons,  mothers 
clasping  their  little  ones  to  their  breasts,  all  feeling 
that  a  horrible  moment  was  at  hand.  Alas,  it  was 
too  late !  Many  of  their  doors  were  unlocked  and 
the  rest  were  insecurely  fastened,  so  that,  before  any 
of  the  men  could  rally  to  the  defense,  the  enemy 
were  upon  them.  The  Indians  and  Coureurs  des 
Bois  seem  to  have  become  intoxicated  with  blood. 
They  spared  no  one,  from  the  gray-haired  grandsire 


vu 


!'! 


i.   >. 


filf ,  h' 


it-' 


234 


7W»    THREE   WAR-PARTIES. 


to  the  babe  nestling  at  the  breast.  At  last  their 
leaders  commanded  them  to  cease  their  slaughter, 
but  not  before  devastation  and  death  had  visited 
almost  every  house. 

A  young  French  officer  named  Iberville  had  been 
sent  in  search  of  the  gate  leading  to  Albany,  but  for- 
tunately for  their  victims  the  snow-storm  had  con- 
cealed it,  and  a  few  men  were  enabled  to  escape  and 
carry  the  sad  tidings  to  their  fellow-countrymen. 
The  pillage  and  murder  lasted  for  about  two  hours. 
Sixty  were  killed  and  ninety  taken  prisoners. 

Next  morning  the  French  leaders  treated  with  the 
chief  magistrate  of  the  place,  John  Sander  Glen, 
whose  house  was  a  little  way  out  of  Schenectady, 
and  who  had  been  most  earnest  in  urging  those 
within  to  be  on  their  guard.  As  Glen  had  been 
generous  to  some  French  prisoners  he  received  a 
pledge  promising  that  none  of  his  property  or  rela- 
tions should  be  injured.  The  warm-hearted  man 
thereupon  began  to  claim  such  a  large  relationship, 
that  the  Indians  asked  with  a  scowl  if  all  the  people 
of  Schenectady  were  his  kindred.  When  the  leaders 
finished  their  conference  with  Glen,  they  laid  the 
place  in  ashes,  and  the  party  began  its  homeward 
march. 

Th*^  country  was  alarmed  and  parties  sent  in  pur- 
suit, but  the  French,  expecting  this,  made  forced 
marches  and  escaped  the  main  body  of  pursuers. 
When  almost  within  sight  of  Montreal,  thinking 
themselves  out  of  danger,  they  became  careless  and 
a  band  of  Mohawks  who  had  steadily  continued  the 
pursuit  succeeded  in  cutting  off  a  number  of  their 
men. 


THE   THREE    WAR-PARTIES. 


23s 


|pur- 

rced 

lers. 

:ing 

and 

the 

Iheir 


Triumphantly,  however,  Mantet  and  Sainte-H616ne 
led  their  victorious  troops  into  Montreal,  amid  the 
eager  shouts  of  the  people  who  had  sent  them  out  a 
few  months  before  with  many  misgivings.  For  a 
few  days  both  leaders  and  men  were  lionized,  and 
the  sufferings  and  exploits  of  the  first  war-party 
were  on  all  men's  lips. 

The  second  war-party,  under  the  command  of 
Fran9ois  Hertel,  left  Three  Rivers  about  the  end  of 
January,  with  the  intention  of  attacking  Salmon 
Falls,  a  small  settlement  on  the  stream  separating 
New  Hampshire  from  Maine.  Like  Schenectady, 
the  inhabitants  of  Salmon  Falls  were  living  in  fan- 
cied security.  For  several  years  back  the  people  in 
this  region  had  suffered  much  from  the  attacks  of 
their  enemies,  but  just  before  this  time,  with  the 
assistance  of  soldiers  from  Massachusetts  and  Ply- 
mouth, they  had  succeeded  in  conquering  their  ene- 
mies and  securing  peace. 

Not  anticipating  such  a  movement  as  an  attack  in 
winter,  the  aid  given  had  been  withdrawn,  and  now 
they  had  to  depend  on  their  own  resources.  They 
had  no  fear  of  a  raid  before  spring,  and  so,  while 
Hertel  and  his  band  of  about  fifty  warriors  were 
slowly  toiling  across  the  country  from  the  St.  Law- 
rence, they  contented  themselves  with  exulting 
over  their  past  victories,  and  planning  what  they 
would  do  for  defense  when  the  snow  should  have 
disappeared. 

Unhappy  people !  they  were  soon  to  have  a  rude 
awakening  from  their  fancied  security. 

Hertel,  on  reaching  Salmon  Falls,  concealed  his 
men  among  the  spreading  pines  that   skirted   the 


I 


n 


m 

m 


m 


iri? 


...m^ 

iH  ';'''" 


m  >  ^* 


!;: 


-f, 


i 

I 


m 

■  -a 
li 


U 


i 


236 


T//E   THREE   WAR-PARTIES. 


cleared  settlement,  and  sent  out  several  scouts  to 
learn  all  they  could  about  the  place.  These  men 
told  on  their  return  that  one  fortified  house  and  two 
stockaded  forts  could  be  seen,  but  as  there  was  no 
one  in  them  nor  did  they  see  any  one  on  the  look- 
out, they  concluded  that  their  presence  was  entirely 
unsuspected. 

Hertel,  on  receiving  this  news,  was  greatly  de- 
lighted ;  he  felt  the  place  was  his  and  bade  his  men 
eat  freely  the  provisions  that  were  left,  and  then  rest 
until  midnight  when  the  attack  would  be  made. 
Eagerly  his  followers  began  their  meal.  For  the 
last  few  days  they  had  been  on  allowance,  but  now 
they  need  spare  nothing.  To-morrow  the  food  of 
the  whole  neighboring  settlement  would  be  theirs. 
After  a  very  hearty  repast,  they  lighted  their  pipes 
and  enjoyed  a  smoke  in  the  forest,  and  then  all  save 
the  sentinels  fell  into  a  much-needed  slumber. 

About  midnight,  Hertel  roused  his  troops,  and 
dividing  them  into  three  companies  marched  silently 
on  the  village.  Here  they  did  not  find  even  the 
mock  snow  sentinels  of  Schenectady  awaiting  them. 
All  was  still  as  death  itself,  as  they  pressed  eagerly 
forward  to  their  bloody  work.  With  a  yell  they 
burst  into  the  houses  where  all  eyes  were  closed  in 
sleep,  and,  before  any  show  of  resistance  could  be 
made,  began  a  heart-rending  massacre.  Having 
devastated  the  more  thickly-settled  part,  they  fell  upon 
the  surrounding  farm-houses,  from  which  the  terri- 
fied owners  were  fleeing,  half-naked,  through  the 
snow,  and  continued  their  cruel  massacre.  Many 
were  killed  as  well  as  many  taken  prisoners.  Nor 
did  the  plundering  cease  until  two  Indian  scouts  re- 


%  \ 


THE   THREE    WAKPARTIES. 


m 


ported  that  a  large  party  of  Englishmen  were  com- 
ing from  Piscataqua  or  Portsmouth,  a  place  a  few 
miles  away.  Some  of  the  fugitives  had  succeeded  in 
reaching  this  settlement,  and  in  a  few  hours'  time, 
about  one  hundred  and  forty  men  were  under  arms 
and  rushing  to  avenge  the  havoc  wrought  upon  their 
fellow-countrymen. 

Hertel  at  once  called  together  his  men,  and  began 
his  homeward  retreat ;  but  not  before  he  set  the 
torch  to  many  of  the  plundered  dwellings.  Swiftly 
the  avengers  were  coming  after  him,  and  he  knew  he 
was  no  match  for  them  in  a  fair  fight.  However, 
Wooster  River  lay  a  few  hours'  march  distant,  and 
if  he  could  only  succeed  in  crossing  it,  he  would  be 
able  to  resist  his  pursuers,  and  escape  them  under 
cover  of  darkness.  On  he  rushed,  his  pursuers  gain- 
ing on  him  every  moment  until  his  followers  began 
to  despair  of  escape.  Not  so  with  their  plucky 
leader  urging  them  on  to  their  utmost  speed.  Just 
as  the  English  were  coming  within  gunshot,  the 
rushing  river,  swollen  with  the  spring  freshets,  lay 
before  them.  The  only  means  of  crossing  it  was  by 
a  small  bridge  that  would  admit  but  a  few  persons  at 
a  time.  Hurriedly  the  French  and  Indians  sped 
over  and  posted  themselves  in  readiness  to  keep 
their  foes  from  following. 

When  the  English  came  up  to  the  river  they  made 
a  vigorous  attempt  to  cross  the  bridge,  but  Hertel  at 
once  began  a  telling  fire,  and  soon  several  of  their 
number  fell  dead.  Again  and  again  they  made  the 
attempt,  only  to  be  met  by  the  death-dealing  bullets 
of  Hertel's  marksmen.  A  continuous  fire  was  kept 
up  between  the  two  parties,  until  night  fell  upon  the 


\\ 


i 


'  >' 


i  ■:!  !  i 


';■' 


lit 


238 


7W:ff   THREE   WAR-PARTIES. 


scene  of  conflict,  and  under  its  shadow  the  French 
commander  withdrew.  He  deceived  the  English  by 
leaving  several  of  his  men  behind,  until  almost  day- 
break, to  keep  the  bridge  which  was  so  narrow  that 
half  a  dozen  men  might  have  guarded  it  against  a 
host.  When  morning  broke,  the  French  had  suc- 
ceeded in  putting  so  great  a  distance  between  them- 
selves and  the  English,  that  the  latter  felt  it  would 
be  useless  to  continue  the  pursuit. 

At  the  next  halting  place  the  French  cruelly  sur- 
rendered some  of  the  captive  women  and  children  to 
their  Indian  comrades  who  tortured  them  with  fiend- 
ish delight.  After  this  horrible  scene,  Hertel  con- 
tinued his  retreat  until  he  reached  a  village  of 
Abenaqui  Indians  on  the  Kennebec,  to  which  prob- 
ably some  of  his  warriors  belonged,  and  there  he  was 
told  that,  but  a  few  days  before,  an  expedition  com- 
manded by  his  countrymen  had  passed  on  its  way  to 
attack  a  fort  on  Casco  Bay,  on  which  stands  the 
present  city  of  Portland. 

Hertel,  eager  for  more  bloodshed,  on  hearing  this 
news,  with  some  thirty-five  of  his  followers,  hastened 
to  join  the  party.  When  he  overtook  them  he  was 
rejoiced  to  find  that  it  was  the  remaining  war-party 
which  had  left  Quebec  four  months  before  for  New 
England,  and  they  were  greatly  cheered  by  news  of 
their  success. 

This  party,  like  the  two  above  described,  had  left 
home  in  January,  and  was  under  the  command  of 
Portneuf  and  Courtemanche.  It  had  come  much 
more  slowly  than  the  others  ;  the  commanders  pre- 
ferring to  stop  from  time  to  time  to  r^^plenish  their 
stores  by  a  moose  hunt,  or  to  break  a  hole  in  the  ice 


THE    THREE    WAR  PARTIES. 


239 


of  the  lakes  and  streams  on  the  route  in  order  to 
catch  a  few  fish  ;  while,  as  spring  approached,  game 
was  constantly  being  brought  down.  All  this  occu- 
pied a  good  deal  of  time,  and  it  was  not  until  four 
months  after  setting  out,  that  they  descried  the  walls 
of  Fort  Loyal,  the  object  of  attack  on  Casco  Bay. 

At  first  the  party  consisted  of  one  hundred  and 
ten  men,  but  on  their  frequent  halts  they  had  been 
joined  by  many  others  eager  to  wreak  vengeance 
upon  their  English  enemies,  until  now,  as  they  drew 
up  to  prepare  themselves  for  the  attack,  they  num- 
bered between  four  and  five  hundred.  Scouts  were 
sent  out  to  examine  the  country,  and  reported  that, 
besides  the  fort,  there  were  four  block-houses  pro- 
tecting the  village.  Fort  Loyal  was  large  and 
strongly  built  on  a  rising  ground  ;  surmounting  it 
there  were  eight  cannon  capable  of  doing  good  work, 
if  properly  handled.  The  French  leaders  determined 
if  possible,  to  take  the  place  by  surprise ;  but,  un- 
fortunately for  this  scheme,  several  of  the  Indian 
scouts  met  a  farmer  on  the  border  of  the  forest,  and 
forgetting  the  orders  to  be  careful  in  no  way  to  re- 
veal themselves,  rushed  on  him  with  a  savage  yell, 
slew  and  carried  off  his  scalp.  The  yells  reached 
the  ars  of  the  garrison,  and  every  available  man 
V  at  unce  summoned  to  hold  himself  in  readiness 
ii      ae  attack. 

^lany  of  the  soldiers  in  the  block-houses  and  fort 
were  young  and  untried  recruits,  and  were  anxious 
to  show  th  ir  prowess.  One  of  them.  Lieutenant 
Thaddeus  lark,  chafing  under  delay,  led  a  party 
of  thirty  .iths  out  in  search  of  the  foe,  but  the 
Indians  su      eded  in  killing  all  except  four  who  were 


240 


THE    THREE    WAR-PARTIES. 


V  '* 


^  » ^; 


% 


i,  h 


J 


1  i' 


wounded  and  who  escaped  to  the  fort.  Their  report 
of  the  number  of  savages  so  alarmed  the  men  in  the 
village  and  block-houses  that  all  retired  to  the  pro- 
tection of  the  fort,  where  their  families  were  already 
assembled. 

Portneuf  wasted  no  time  in  beginning  the  siege, 
but  at  once  dispatched  men  with  torches  to  set  fire 
to  the  block-houses  and  village ;  speedily  the  inmates 
of  the  fort  saw  their  homes  disappearing  in  smoke 
and  ashes,  while  all  around  them,  above  the  crack- 
ling of  the  flames,  they  could  hear  the  fiendish  yells 
of  their  exulting  foes. 

The  commander  of  Fort  Loyal,  Captain  Sylvanus 
Davis,  nerved  himself  to  njake  a  strong  resistance. 
He  at  once  began  a  heavy  fire  on  the  Indians,  as  he 
supposed  the  entire  party  to  be,  but  with  little  effect. 
Their  wily  commander  kept  his  men  so  well  under 
cover  that  but  few  of  them  fell  before  the  English 
fire.  Portneuf  had  expected  that  he  might  have  to 
lay  siege  to  the  fort,  and  for  this  purpose  had  brought 
shovels  and  picks  to  dig  trenches  ;  with  these  and 
many  others  obtained  from  the  settlers'  houses,  his 
band  went  to  work.  Busily  they  plied  the  picks  and 
shovels,  and  in  three  days  they  were  almost  up  to 
the  wall  of  the  fort. 

While  they  were  performing  this  task  Davis  kept 
up  a  regular  fire  from  his  cannon  and  small  arms,  but 
on  account  of  the  entrenchments  few  were  killed. 
On  the  enemy's  side  some  worked  while  others  re- 
turned the  fire  of  the  foe  with  deadly  effect.  Many 
of  them  had  been  for  years  constantly  using  the  rifle 
in  search  of  furs,  and  were  marksmen  of  exceptional 
skill,  so  that  rarely  was  a  form  seen  at  a  loophole  or 


THE    THREE    WAR-PARTIES. 


241 


Ikept 

I  but 

lUed. 

re- 

Lany 

I  rifle 

lonal 

le  or 


on  the  roof,  loading  and  directing  the  cannon,  but  a 
death  cry  was  speedily  heard  to  follow. 

The  members  of  the  garrison,  eager  to  keep  the 
enemy  from  coming  nearer,  frequently  risked  their 
lives,  only  to  be  met  with  the  death-dealing  bullets. 
At  last  scarcely  could  one  be  found  courageous 
enough  to  present  himself  at  the  loopholes.  Despair 
reigned  within  the  walls,  and  all  began  to  realize 
that  they  would  soon  fall  into  the  hands  of  their 
merciless  besiegers. 

Davis  tried  to  treat  with  the  foe,  but  the  condi- 
tions offered  were  such  that  they  would  not  accept 
them,  and  the  fight  went  on.  Now  an  Indian  or 
Frenchman  fell,  then  a  wailing  of  women  and  chil- 
dren within  the  fort  told  that  one  of  those  dear  to 
them,  and  on  whom  they  depended  for  support,  had 
been  suddenly  cut  off. 

On  the  fifth  day  after  the  siege  began,  the  Eng- 
lish were  startled  by  a  bright  light  almost  under 
their  very  walls.  On  looking  out,  they  saw  that  the 
enemy,  by  means  of  long  poles,  were  pushing  a  plat- 
form loaded  with  several  blazing  tar  barrels  and 
planks  smeared  with  oil,  up  to  the  palisades  that 
surrounded  the  fort. 

This  was  too  much  for  the  besieged.  They  felt 
they  could  hold  out  no  longer.  Davis  resolved  to 
stand  firm,  but  the  women  and  children  clung  about 
him  urging  them  to  save  them  ;  and  the  men,  who 
knew  it  was  only  a  question  of  time,  begged  him  to 
surrender  if  he  could  obtain  permission  to  let  them 
depart  with  their  lives. 

Davis,  knowing  that  if  there  were  none  but  Indians 
in  the  party  he  could  expect  but  little  mercy  under  a 


il 


242 


THE   THREE   WAR-PARTIES. 


!!• 


rii 


flag  of  truce,  desired  to  know  if  there  were  any 
Frenchmen  among  them.  With  joy  he  learned  that 
the  party  was  commanded  by  Frenchmen.  At  once 
he  agreed  to  surrender  on  condition  that  mercy 
should  be  shown  to  the  garrison,  and  that  all  should 
be  allowed  to  retreat  to  the  next  English  village. 

Portneuf,  without  the  slightest  hesitation,  granted 
his  request,  confirming  his  reply  by  oath. 

Great  joy  reigned  within  Fort  Loyal  when  they 
learned  that  the  lives  of  those  who  had  not  already 
fallen  were  to  be  spared.  Speedily  preparations 
were  made  for  the  march.  Mothers  who  had 
expected  soon  to  have  their  little  ones  tortured  before 
their  eyes,  now  joyfully  pressed  them  to  their  breasts, 
and  although  they  would  lose  all  the  little  property 
jears  of  toil  had  accumulated,  they  still  had  their 
own  lives  and  the  lives  of  those  dear  to  them.  Soon, 
everything  being  ready,  the  gates  were  thrown  open 
and  the  besieged  thankfully  marched  out  to  the  ex- 
ulting besiegers. 

First  the  men  filed  out,  and  Portneuf's  awaiting 
band  received  their  arms.  As  they,  one  by  one,  sur- 
rendered them,  they  had  an  uneasy  feeling  that  all 
was  not  well.  The  lowering  scowls  on  the  savage 
faces  boded  ill  for  the  lives  of  those  at  their  mercy. 
The  women  and  children  hurried  out  next,  trembling 
at  the  array  of  plumed  and  painted  foes  whose  very 
names  had  for  years  sent  a  chill  of  terror  to  their 
hearts.  Scarcely  had  the  last  one  left  the  gate  when 
with  heart-appalling  yells  the  Indians  fell  upon  them 
and  began  a  brutal  slaughter. 

Husbands  were  murdered  and  scalped  before  their 
wives  ;  infants  were  torn  from  their  mother's  breasts 


THE    THREE    WAR-PARTIES. 


243 


jting 
sur- 
al! 
'age 
Ircy. 
jling 
try 
Iheir 
Ihen 
lem 


leir 
lasts 


and  ruthlessly  slain,  nor  did  the  fiendish  work  cease 
until  the  ground  was  covered  with  the  dead.  Not 
satisfied  with  killing  their  foes,  the  Indians  erected 
stakes  and  brutally  tortured  women  and  little  chil- 
dren. Sylvanus  Davis,  who  had  at  the  beginning  of 
this  diabolical  scene  been  made  a  prisoner,  cried  out 
against  this  treachery  and  demanded  why  the  French 
did  not  interfere. 

Perhaps  they  could  not ;  the  Indians  in  the  party 
outnumbered  the  French  five  to  one.  For  years  they 
had  been  at  war  with  the  English,  and  it  would  have 
been  no  easy  matter  to  keep  them  now  from  wreak- 
ing their  spite  on  the  foe.  However,  Portneuf 
offered  no  such  excuse.  He  told  Davis  that  both  he 
and  the  garrison  were  rebels  against  James  the  Sec- 
ond, who  had  been  driven  from  the  English  throne, 
which  William,  Prince  of  Orange,  now  occupied,  and 
that  as  rebellious  subjects  they  deserved  no  better 
fate. 

When  the  horrible  slaughter  was  over,  Portneuf 
ordered  the  eight  cannon  to  be  spiked  and  the  fort 
to  be  burned  to  the  ground.  After  permitting  his 
men  to  devastate  the  surrounding  country  he  began 
the  homeward  march,  laden  with  booty ;  while  all 
about  the  ruins  of  the  village  on  Casco  Bay  lay  the 
dead  bodies  of  his  unburied  victims.  As  he  started 
on  his  march  some  of  the  scouts  reported  four  sail 
off  the  coast.  They  carried  a  party  which  had  come 
to  the  rescue,  but  had  turned  away  sick  at  the  sight 
of  the  terrible  scene ;  and  not  until  three  years  after 
were  the  bones  of  the  murdered  ones  placed  beneath 
the  soil. 

About  the  middle  of  June,  this  last  of  the  three 


i 


W 


% 


acmtr 


■,   I 


!     i 


i-  .  i 


244 


TJ/£   THREE    WAR-PARTIES. 


famous  war-parties  arrived  at  Quebec,  with  Davis 
and  four  other  prisoners,  the  sole  survivors  of  the 
massacre. 

Such  is  the  painful  story  of  the  three  War-Parties. 
They  had  been  sent  out  to  show  that  the  arm  of  the 
French  colony  was  still  strong  to  smite.  They  had 
been  intended,  by  these  pitiless  deeds,  to  strike  terror 
into  the  hearts  of  their  enemies,  and  to  give  renewed 
life  and  vigor  to  those  at  home.  In  the  latter  object 
Frontenac  succeeded  even  better  than  he  had  ex- 
pected. From  Quebec  to  Montreal  the  joy-bells 
rang  out,  and  those  who  were  beginning  to  long  for 
Old  France,  felt  they  might  yet  found  a  worthy  New 
France  in  America.  Frontenac  was  the  man  of  the 
day ;  all  alike  did  honor  to  him  for  his  quickness  of 
action.  What  was  the  result  on  the  English  }  Had 
the  two  bloody  surprises  on  the  sleeping  inhabitants 
of  Schenectady  and  Salmon  Falls  and  the  treacherous 
massacre  of  Fort  Loyal  struck  terror  into  their  hearts  } 
No  !  it  had  but  succeeded  in  filling  them  with  a  de- 
termination to  have  their  revenge.  Their  slaughtered 
friends  seemed  rising  from  their  graves  to  keep  them 
ever  at  their  stern  work  of  retaliation,  and  never  did 
the  conflict  between  the  two  colonies  truly  cease, 
until  the  Red  Cross  waved  above  the  Fletir-de-lis  on 
the  citadel  of  Quebec,  and  French  rule  was  forever 
banished  from  the  American  continvit.  The  War- 
Parties  were  the  offspring  of  a  savage  age,  and  of 
much  previous  provocation ;  but  hatred  and  blood- 
shed are  fruitful  seeds,  and  they  that  take  the  sword 
are  always  likely  to  perish  with  the  sword. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  FIRST  SIEGE   OF   QUEBEC. 

AS  has  bf;en  already  remarked,  the  havoc  wrought 
by  the  three  war-parties  aroused  in  the  Eng- 
lish colonies  a  spirit  of  revenge,  and  they  determined 
to  make  a  united  effort  to  crush  their  enemies  to  the 
northward.  For  this  end  they  felt  that,  besides  their 
own  strength,  they  would  require  the  assistance  of 
the  motherland.  A  swift-sailing  ship  was  sent  to 
England  to  explain  their  troubles  to  the  Home  gov- 
ernment, and  ask  for  men,  money,  and  vessels.  But, 
unfortunately,  England  was  still  suffering  from  the 
effects  of  the  civil  wars  of  the  Parliament  against 
the  Stewarts,  and  had  also  to  contend  with  the  Irish, 
who  still  upheld  the  exiled  king ;  and  she  had,  there- 
fore, neither  the  inclination  nor  the  means  of  helping 
her  children.  Nothing  dismayed,  the  colonies  went 
0,1  with  their  preparations  for  the  invasion  of  Canada, 
having  great  confidence  both  in  their  men  who  went 
to  battle,  and  in  the  prayers  of  those  who  remained 
at  home.  Not  having  sufficient  means  to  fight  their 
enemies  to  advantage,  they  decided  to  do  it  at  their 
enemies'  expense.  Sir  William  Phips  was  sent  out 
from  Boston  with  seven  vessels,  to  ravage  Acadia. 

After  capturing  Port  Royal  (Annapolis),  and  de- 
spoiling other  villages  along  the  coast  of  the  Bay  of 
Fundy,  he  returned  to  Boston  laden  with  spoil,  and 

245 


11 


ir 


Fi^f 


liii 


I       ■  "I 


y 


Niiii 


R'V 


il 


,t 


H 


4 


Ill  i 


'1 1!|1<^ 


?  « 


I 


I  in 


1^,  fi 

i   I 


I-- 


>  -* 


246 


TJ/£  FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


SO  removed  the  chief  difficulty  that  had  delayed  the 
invasion.  Preparations  were  now  hurried  on,  as 
the  English  were  anxious  to  invade  Canada  before 
the  following  winter.  A  twofold  invasion  by  land 
and  water  was  planned,  striking  both  the  strong 
points  of  the  French  possessions  at  once.  The  land 
force,  under  Generals  Winthrop  and  Schuyler,  was 
to  march  upon  Montreal,  by  way  of  Lake  Champlain, 
while  the  fleet,  sailing  round  the  coast,  was  to  glide 
swiftly  up  the  St.  Lawrence  and  surprise  Quebec. 

The  expedition  on  Montreal  was  a  total  failure. 
No  sufficient  arrangements  had  been  made  for  pro- 
viding the  necessaries  of  life,  and  the  troops  found 
themselves  almost  within  sight  of  the  enemy's  coun- 
try with  but  little  food  or  clothing  and  no  means 
of  obtaining  them.  The  Iroquois,  too,  failed  to  give 
the  expected  help,  and  they  were  compelled  to  beat 
an  inglorious  and  hasty  retreat  to  Albany. 

The  fleet  under  Sir  William  Phips  and  Major 
Walley,  had  at  least  the  glory  of  reaching  its  desti- 
nation. It  looked  tolerably  imposing  with  its  thirty- 
two  ships,  great  and  small,  the  largest  carrying 
forty-four  guns,  the  smallest  being  a  fishing-smack. 
Phips,  the  commander,  was  what  is  usually  styled  a 
self-made  man.  He  had  won  fortune  and  title  by 
adventure  and  energy,  to  which  might  be  added  luck  ; 
and  although  he  is  to  be  admired  for  the  courage  he 
displayed  on  many  occasions,  it  was  unfortunate,  as 
we  shall  afterwards  see,  that  a  man  unskilled  either 
in  the  management  of  a  large  fleet  or  in  military 
tactics,  should  have  been  intrusted  with  an  enter- 
prise that  taxed  the  whole  strength  of  the  infant 
nation.     Phips  had  under  his  command  about  twenty- 


THE  FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


247 


[ajor 
lesti- 
lirty- 
•ying 

lack, 
lied  a 

e  by 
luck ; 

:e  he 


two  hundred  men,  including  sailors;  an  exceedingly 
large  force  when  we  consider  how  few  people  then 
inhabited  New  England,  and  that  thirteen  hundred 
men  were  with  Winthrop  and  Schuyler  marching  on 
Montreal. 

Although  the  force  was  large  it  could  not  be  called 
strong.  The  soldiers  were  principally  farmers  and 
fishermen,  quite  unaccustomed  to  the  use  of  warlike 
weapons,  and  the  commanders  of  the  vessels  were 
ship-owners  and  ship  cap  ains  who  had  neither  had 
experience  in  the  management  of  artillery  nor  in  the 
use  of  small  arms.  The  militia  officers  were  recruited 
from  the  merchant's  desk  and  the  plough,  so  that 
they  had  yet  to  learn  the  art  of  war.  The  lesson 
they  received  may  have  helped  them  to  train  their 
children  to  be  true  and  gallant  soldiers  as  they  after- 
wards proved  themselves,  both  in  helping  the  Mother- 
land in  her  wars  with  Canada,  and  in  their  own 
successful  blow  for  independence.  This  fleet,  with 
its  untutored  warriors,  sailed  from  Nantasket  on  the 
ninth  of  August,  1690,  followed  by  prayers  for  suc- 
cess from  the  pulpits  of  every  church  and  the  hearth 
of  every  home  in  New  England. 

What  is  now  the  state  of  the  French  colonists  and 
what  have  they  been  doing  all  this  time  ?  They  had 
long  been  struggling  against  the  con^-inual  attacks 
of  the  hostile  Indians,  The  outlying  villages  could 
never  feel  perfectly  at  rest,  and  the  inhabitants  were 
often  aroused  by  the  terrible  whoops  of  the  painted 
savages,  or  by  the  dying  shrieks  of  some  of  their 
friends.  Tidings  of  farmers  slain  and  houses  plun- 
dered and  burnt  were  constantly  being  brought  into 
the  forts.     This  weakened  and  depressed  the  French 


TT 


I  I 


r 


{:  = 


i'    !     i 


(fi; 


El 


1^;- 


;}!i 


i 


M  t 


248 


r^^  F/HSr  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


colonists,  and  Frontenac,  the  energetic  old  governor, 
determined  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  gain  the  friend- 
ship of  the  Indians.  Succeed  he  did,  but  not  with- 
out difficulty.  He  even  went  so  far  as  to  lay  aside 
his  dignity  and  join  them  in  one  of  their  war- 
dances,  outdoing  the  most  energetic  of  the  red-men 
in  their  own  sport,  much  to  their  amusement  and 
admiration. 

Frontenac's  success  in  treating  with  the  Indians 
and  the  success  of  the  three  war-parties  had  for  the 
time  made  the  colonists  feel  much  safer  than  they 
had  done  for  years.  France  was  now  embroiled  in  a 
European  war ;  and,  like  England,  could  render  no 
assistance  to  her  offspring ;  so  the  two  colonies  were 
left  to  fight  it  out  alone  on  the  American  continent. 
If  there  was  any  advantage  the  English  had  the  best 
prospects,  both  in  numbers  and  resources,  but  an 
invading  army  fighting  in  a  foreign  land  has  not  the 
inspiration  of  that  which  is  defending  hearth  and 
home.  This  fact,  perhaps,  made  up  the  difference 
in  numbers.  Then,  too,  the  French  had  been  more 
constantly  engaged  in  war  and  this  had  given  their 
soldiers  the  experience  of  veterans. 

Scarcely  had  Montreal  rejoiced  over  the  news  that 
Winthrop  and  Schuyler  had  retired  to  Albany  when 
Frontenac,  at  Montreal,  was  informed  that  a  fleet 
was  advancing  on  Quebec.  At  first  he  could  scarcely 
believe  it,  but  his  doubts  were  dispelled  when  he 
learned  that  an  Indian  had  brought  the  tidings:  all 
the  way  from  the  shores  of  Maine.  This  Indian,  an 
Abenaqui,  discovered  from  a  woman  captured  by  his 
tribe  that  a  large  fleet  had  shortly  before  left  Boston 
for  Quebec.     Being  friendly  to  the  French,  he  deter- 


THE  FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


249 


mined  to  warn  them  of  the  impending  danger.  There 
was  but  one  way  to  do  this,  and  that  was  by  speeding 
on  foot  across  the  country  from  the  Abenaqui's  home 
to  Quebec.  Unmindful  of  the  hardships  of  the  way, 
only  remembering  the  kindness  done  to  his  people 
by  the  French,  he  eagerly  toiled  over  the  many  weary 
miles  until  he  arrived  at  the  Chateau  St.  Louis. 

As  the  danger  threatening  Montreal  was  removed, 
Frontenao,  the  hope  of  the  Canadians,  at  once  started 
for  Quebec,  and  on  the  way  met  a  messenger  sent 
by  his  lieutenant,  Prevost,  to  warn  him  that  the  fleet 
was  reported  at  Tadousac.  Frontenac  before  leav- 
ing Montreal  had  ordered  two  hundred  men  to  follow 
him  speedily  to  Quebec  ;  but  on  receiving  this  news 
of  the  nearness  of  the  enemy  he  at  once  sent  back 
an  order  to  DeCalli^res,  Governor  of  Montreal,  to 
hurry  on  to  Quebec  with  all  the  men  he  could 
collect. 

With  all  possible  speed  he  pushed  his  way  to  the 
rescue,  eager  to  reach  the  rocky  fortress  before  the 
foe,  and  on  his  way  he  ordered  the  commanders  of 
the  various  forts  to  send  on  their  men  after  him. 
To  his  delight  he  succeeded  in  reaching  his  destina- 
tion before  any  of  the  enemy's  vessels  could  be  seen 
from  the  citadel.  When  the  anxious  watchers  on 
Quebec  saw  him  approaching  their  hearts  beat  with 
renewed  hope,  and  as  soon  as  he  reached  the  shore 
he  was  met  with  a  royal  welcome ;  the  warm-hearted 
Frenchmen  forgetting  their  usual  **  Vive  le  roiy' 
burst  out  with  ^*Vive  le  Frontenac,'*  and  showed  their 
joy  by  a  most  boisterous  salute.  As  the  old  gray- 
haired  warrior  toiled  up  Mountain  Street  —  the  steep 
path  leading  from  the  lower  to  the  upper  town  —  he 


■  5iH 


i 


250 


THE  FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


W.   V 


H    ! 


il  '■! 


■.  !■■ 


m 


i!  ! 


u^-XS. 


m. 


rir' 


felt  the  youthful  blood  surge  through  his  veins,  and 
as  he  thought  of  the  threatened  attempt  to  storm 
Quebec — his  Quebec  —  his  eyes  flashed  and  his  lips 
were  firmly  pressed  together  with  the  determination 
to  leave  his  bones  on  the  rocky  heights  before  he 
would  permit  the  Fleur-de-lis  to  be  lowered  before 
the  Union  Jack  of  hated  England. 

There  was  no  time  to  be  lost.  With  the  greatest 
alacrity  he  at  once  began  examining  the  fortifications. 
Prevost,  although  he  had  heard  of  the  approaching 
fleet  but  a  short  time  before,  had  everything  fairly 
well  secured.  The  city  gates  had  had  large  beams 
strung  across  them,  and  were  barricaded  with  casks 
of  earth;  palisades  had  been  erected  along  the  St. 
Charles  ;  extensive  entrenchments  had  been  thrown 
up,  and  from  every  available  point  the  black-lipped 
cannon  loomed  over  the  river.  Frontenac  was  much 
pleased  with  the  work  done,  and  in  two  days  after 
his  arrival  had  everything  in  readiness  to  meet  his 
foes  with  a  strong  resistance. 

But  what  had  Phips  been  doing  while  Frontenac 
was  thus  employed }  He  had  now  been  in  the  St. 
Lawrence  for  some  days,  whereas  the  run  from 
Tadoussac  to  Quebec  should  have  taken  but  a  day  or 
two.  With  great  lack  of  foresight,  the  fleet  had  left 
Boston  without  any  one  on  board  who  knew  the  Gulf 
or  river  St.  Lawrence,  and  so  they  had  literally  to 
feel  their  way  along  it  with  the  lead  ;  thus  giving  the 
French  ample  time  to  strengthen  their  fortifications 
and  crowd  in  men  from  other  forts  for  their  protec- 
tion. Besides  this  great  slowness  of  movement 
from  ignorance  of  the  channel,  Phips  wasted  much 
time  in  holding  counsels  of  war,  and  forming  and 


m 


THE  FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


251 


issuing  rules  for  the  government  of  his  men.  Had 
he  reached  Quebec  at  the  right  time,  he  would  have 
had  a  very  easy  task  to  take  it,  as  he  learned  from  a 
Frenchman  captured  on  his  way.  For  at  the  time 
when  he  arrived  at  Tadousac  Quebec  was  garrisoned 
with  but  about  two  hundred  men  and,  besides  being 
badly  fortified,  its  cannon  were  nearly  all  dismounted. 
His  enforced  delay,  however,  gave  the  French  time 
to  work  a  transformation  ;  and  now,  when  he  had 
anticipated  that  everything  would  be  easy  he  had  to 
face  an  energetic  host,  a  well-fortified  rock,  and, 
above  all,  the  brave  old  warrior,  Frontenac,  who  put 
life  and  energy  into  every  one  with  whom  he  came 
in  contact. 

Slowly,  but  surely,  the  fleet  advanced  ;  frequently 
harassed  by  the  skirmishing  attacks  of  the  villagers 
who  at  every  opportunity  showed  their  loyalty  to 
France  by  shouldering  their  guns  and  giving  the  foe 
a  passing  shot.  Even  the  priests  in  some  of  the  vil- 
lages closed  their  missals  and  handled  the  gun  to  good 
effect.  Sometimes  the  ships  were  compelled  to  turn 
out  of  their  course  by  coming  in  contact  with  some 
unseen  shoal  or  reef.  At  last  they  came  in  sight  of 
Quebec,  and  vessel  after  vessel  dropped  anchor  in 
the  basin  just  below  the  grand  old  rock.  The  sailors 
and  rustic  soldiers  were  filled  with  misgivings  as  they 
gazed  at  the  frowning  heights,  and  saw  everywhere 
signs  of  preparation.  They  began  to  think  that 
perhaps  their  prisoner  had  deceived  them,  and  even 
the  sanguine  Phips,  as  he  looked  up  to  the  Fleur-de- 
lis  staunchly  waving  its  white  folds  over  the  Chateau 
St.  Louis  on  the  summit  of  the  cliff,  felt  his  hopes 
fall  many  degrees.     At  any  rate  he  saw  that  'the 


1  :  '5 


\r^ 


iH^l 


I 


** 


'■ki 


252 


TW:^  F//fSr  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


French  did  not  lower  their  flag  at  his  approach. 
However,  he  had  succeeded  once  before,  at  Port 
Royal,  by  a  request  to  surrender,  and  so  he  deter- 
mined to  try  to  get  into  the  citadel  without  waste  of 
powder  or  loss  of  men.  He  had  the  wrong  man  to 
deal  with.  Frontenac  had  struggled  long  to  keep 
the  French  colony  together,  despite  the  biting  colds 
of  Canadian  winter —  so  hard  upon  the  pleasure- 
loving  French  nature  —  and  the  constant  attacks  of 
brutal  savages  ;  and  he  was  not  disposed  to  give  it 
up  at  the  request  of  Sir  William  Phips. 

Shortly  after  the  fleet  had  anchored,  Phips  dis- 
patched an  officer  under  a  flag  of  truce  to  Frontenac. 
As  soon  as  the  boat  touched  shore,  the  officer  was 
blindfolded  and  led  to  the  chief.  The  French  did 
all  in  their  power  to  impress  him  with  their  strength, 
leading  him  by  a  very  circuitous  route,  and  dragging 
him  over  barricade  after  barricade,  much  to  the  delight 
of  the  mirth-loving  inhabitants,  ready  to  enjoy  a 
good  practical  joke  even  at  such  a  time  as  this.  As 
he  passed  through  the  garrison  the  soldiers  made  as 
much  noise  as  possible  by  clash  of  weapons  and 
heavy  tramp  of  feet ;  and  by  the  time  he  reached 
the  council  chamber  he  was  so  overawed  as  to  be 
ready  to  tell  his  comrades  a  very  different  tale  from 
that  they  had  heard  from  the  prisoner.  When  he 
was  ushered  into  the  council  chamber,  men  in  uni- 
forms glittering  with  gold  and  silver  lace  dazzled  his 
unbandaged  eyes,  and  the  haughty  expression  of  their 
faces  made  him  feel  ill  at  ease. 

At  last  he  found  strength  enough  to  give  Phips* 
letter  to  Frontenac,  who  ordered  it  to  be  read  aloud 
in  French,  for  the  benefit  of   all.     The  letter  was 


THE  FIRST  SIEGE  01  QUE H EC 


253 


a  brief  demand  for  an  unconditional  surrender. 
Silently  the  assembled  French  officers  listened,  with 
an  expression  of  growing  rage  on  their  countenances, 
as  they  heard  themselves  reviled  and  their  posses- 
sions demanded  in  the  name  of  King  William  and 
Mary.  The  closing  paragraph  ran  :  "  Your  answci 
positive  in  an  hour,  returned  by  your  own  trumpet, 
with  the  return  of  mine,  is  required  upon  the  peril 
that  will  ensue." 

This  was  sufficient  to  burst  the  cloud  that  had 
gathered  in  the  council  chamber,  and  a  storm  of 
abuse  fell  about  the  head  of  the  poor  Englishman. 
Some  were  for  hanging  him  in  defiance  of  Phips. 
Frontenac,  although  hot  and  tempestuous  in  youth 
and  middle  age,  had,  through  hardship  and  trials, 
learned  to  control  himself  and  rarely  lost  his  dignity  ; 
but  this  was  too  much  for  even  his  seventy  years. 
The  very  mention  of  the  names — "William  and 
Mary "  —  so  hated  by  Frenchmen  of  that  time, 
made  his  blood  boil,  and  when  the  English  envoy 
handed  him  his  watch,  stating  that  as  it  was  now  ten 
o'clock  Sir  William  Phips  would  expect  his  reply  by 
eleven,  he  burst  into  passionate  words  of  indignation. 

"  I  will  not  keep  you  waiting  so  long.  Tell  your 
general  that  I  do  not  recognize  King  William  ;  and 
that  the  Prince  of  Orange,  who  so  styles  himself,  is 
a  usurper  who  has  violated  the  most  sacred  laws  of 
blood,  in  attempting  to  dethrone  his  father-in-law.  I 
know  no  king  of  England  but  King  James.  Your 
general  ought  not  to  be  surprised  at  the  hostilities 
which  he  says  that  the  French  have  carried  on  in 
the  colony  of  Massachusetts ;  for,  as  the  king,  my 
master,  has  taken  the  King  of  England   under  his 


\n  > 


I    I 

I    • 


254 


T/:£   FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


protection,  and  is  about  to  replace  him  on  his  throne 
by  force  of  arms,  he  might  have  expected  that  his 
Majesty  would  order  me  to  make  war  on  a  people 
who  have  rebelled  against  their  lawful  prince.  Even 
if  your  general  offered  me  conditions  a  little  more 
gracious,  and  if  I  had  a  mind  to  accept  them,  does 
he  suppose  that  these  brave  gentlemen  "(his  coun- 
selors) "  would  give  their  consent  and  advise  me  to 
trust  a  man  who  broke  his  agreement  with  the  gov- 
ernor of  Port  Royal,  or  a  rebel  who  has  failed  in  his 
duty  to  his  king  and  forgotten  all  the  favors  he  had 
received  from  him,  to  follow  a  princ?  who  pretends 
to  be  the  liberator  of  England  and  the  defender  of 
the  faith,  and  y.:-t  destroys  the  laws  and  privileges  of 
the  kingdom  and  overthrows  its  religion  ?  The 
divine  justice  which  your  general  invokes  in  his  letter 
will  not  rail  to  punish  such  acts  severely  !  " 

As  the  thunder  of  the  old  man's  voice  ceased,  the 
walls  of  the  chateau  rang  with  the  applause  and 
approval  of  his  subordinates.  What  did  they  care 
for  Phips  .''  How  dared  this  boor  of  a  general  with 
hie  rustic  soldiers  presume  to  dictate  to  them,  through 
whose  veins  flowed  the  proudest  blood  of  France } 
Silent  and  trembling  stood  the  envoy  until  the  ap- 
plause had  ceased,  and  then  timorously  requested 
Frontenac  to  write  his  reply  to  Phips. 

"  No  !  "  burst  forth  the  haughty  old  g6vernor  ;  "  I 
will  answer  your  general  only  by  the  mouths  of  my 
cannon,  that  he  may  learn  that  a  man  like  me  is  not 
to  be  summoned  after  this  fashion.  Let  him  do  his 
best  and  I  will  do  mine  !  " 

After  these  words  the  envoy  was  blindfolded  and 
led  back  to  the  boat  awaitin<r  him.     As  soon  as  he 


W-^: 
P '  '> 


THE  FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


255 


reached  the  admiral's  ship,  he  related  what  had 
passed  between  him  and  Frontenac  ;  and,  moreover, 
filled  Phips  and  his  officers  with  very  exaggerated 
ideas  of  the  strength  of  the  defenses,  which  he  knew 
only  from  the  rough  experience  he  had  had  in 
his  blind  passage  through  them  and  the  warlike 
sounds  that  had  saluted  his  ears.  A  rumor  of  the 
strength  of  Quebec  reached  the  men,  and  not  a  few 
began  to  feel  that  their  task  was  hopeless.  How- 
ever, they  had  come  a  long  way  for  a  great  purpose ; 
they  knew  the  prayers  of  their  people  were  with  them, 
and  prepared  themselves  to  carry  out  what  Phips  had 
threatened.  Phips  called  a  council  and  planned  the 
attack,  but  while  so  doing,  the  tide  changed  and 
nothing  could  be  done  until  the  following  morning. 

Just  as  the  twilight  was  fading  into  darkness,  joy- 
ous shouts,  blending  with  the  frequent  firing  of  dis- 
tant but  approaching  guns,  as  though  of  a  jubilant 
people,  were  carried  to  the  ears  of  the  English.  T^e 
whole  city  seemed  roused.  Men,  women  and  chil- 
dren could  be  heard  shouting  for  joy.  "  What  does 
it  mean  }  "  is  passed  from  lip  to  lip  on  board  the 
fleet,  and  many  faces  blanch  as  they  hear  the  tumult 
increase  rather  than  diminish. 

Granville,  their  prisoner,  at  once  guesscv'  at  the 
truth.  lie  knew  the  upper  country  had  been 
alarmed,  and  that  probably  the  tumult  betokened 
the  arrival  of  forces  from  Three  Rivers,  Montreal 
and  other  points  along  the  St.  Lawrence,  filling;  the 
inhabitants  of  Quebec  with  joy  and  hope.  It  was 
even  so.  De  Calli^res,  the  Governor  of  Montreal,  had 
not  been  idle,  but,  by  forced  marches,  had  brought 
every  available  man  to  Frontenac's  assistance. 


'■!    I  ■' 


fr 


'i 


it 


mw 


256 


r//E  FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


\ 

i 

i; 

1     1 

■ 

t 

) 

1 

Now,  as  the  old  governor  looked  over  this  new 
force  his  heart  leaped  with  hopeful  delight.  They 
were  the  flower  of  Canadian  soldiery  —  strong,  active 
young  Frenchmen  and  Indians  —  who  never  were  so 
happy  as  when  fighting.  With  these  he  need  fear 
nothing,  and  would  soon  show  Phips  what  he  meant 
when  he  said,  "  I  will  do  my  best." 

After  another  day's  delay  on  the  part  of  Phips, 
owing  to  unfavorable  weather,  the  siege  of  Quebec 
began  in  earnest.  Major  Walley  landed,  with  about 
thirteen  hundred  men,  near  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Charles.  Frontenac,  owing  to  his  increased  num- 
bers, felt  that  he  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  land- 
ing of  the  troops  and  did  not  oppose  them  until  they 
had  formed  on  the  muddy  banks  of  the  river.  But 
as  soon  as  they  attempted  to  advance  French  sharp- 
shooters kept  up  a  continuous  fire  from  sheltered 
positions. 

This  was  unexpected  by  the  English,  and  threw 
them  into  disorder  ;  however,  after  a  short  baptism 
of  fire,  they  showed  the  stern  front  that  Englishmen 
have  always  opposed  to  danger,  and  calmly  waited 
their  commander's  order  to  charge  the  enemy  out 
of  their  position.  At  last  they  received  the  com- 
mand, and,  with  the  impetuous  daring  of  the  Briton, 
rushed  on  the  enemy's  position  —  visible  only  by 
puffs  of  smoke  rising  from  behind  trees  and  rocks. 

Shot  after  shot  was  poured  into  them  as  they 
advanced,  but,  nothing  daunted,  they  continued  their 
charge  until  the  French  turned  and  fled.  When  they 
had  reached  a  safe  distance  they  halted,  took  shelter, 
and  renewed  the  attack.  Walley,  seeing  it  would  be 
useless  to  charge  them  again,  called  back  his  men 


THE  FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


257 


and  encamped.  He  had  suffered  great  loss  of  men, 
and  was  moreover  disheartened  by  seeing  how  use- 
less it  was  to  attempt  anything  from  the  landward 
side. 

While  Walley  was  doing  his  poor  best  on  land, 
Phips  dropped  down  in  front  of  the  citadel  and  be- 
gan bombarding  it.  A  steady  fire  of  cannon  was 
kept  up  from  both  the  fleet  and  the  rock,  without 
doing  much  harm  to  either  party,  until  darkness 
came  on,  when  the  firing  ceased  only  to  be  begun 
next  morning. 

On  the  second  day  of  the  fight  the  boldness  of  the 
English  gave  their  foes  an  opportunity  of  doing  good 
V  t, .  Their  gunners  were  old,  experienced  sol- 
k  'i.'->.  who  had  been  through  more  than  one  cam- 
paign ;  many  indeed  having  learned  their  military 
tactics  in  old  France.  Sainte-H61^ne,  who  had  so 
distinguished  himself  in  the  march  on  Schenectady, 
took  charge  of  one  of  the  guns  that  played  on  the 
admiral's  ship,  and  made  almost  every  shot  tell.  All 
over  the  fleet  torn  sails  and  falling  spars  told  how 
effective  was  the  answer  from  the  "  cannon-mouchs  " 
that  Frontenac  had  spoken  of. 

One  of  the  first  shots  aimed  by  Sainte-Hel^ne  at 
r*hips's  vessel,  carried  away  his  flag,  and  as  it  fell  into 
the  water  a  great  shout  rose  from  Quebec!  at  this 
good  omen.  It  was  to  them  a  sign  that  the  defeat 
would  be  for  the  British  flag  and  not  for  their 
Fleur-de-lis. 

As  the  flag  floated  down  stream  several  foolhardy 
Canadians  determined  to  try  to  bring  it  ashore  to 
hang  it  below  their  own.  Taking  a  birch  canoo,thGy 
bent  their  ashen  paddles  as  they  sped  i!i  the  direc- 


m 


ipiprir 


258 


THE  FIRST  SIEGE   OF  QUEBEC. 


■|P!fl!1 


I 


ml 

E  t    it 


tion  of  the  desired  trophy,  but  before  they  got  near 
it  their  movemeii-  was  observed  by  the  enemy  who 
began  a  heavy  fire  on  them.  One  of  the  youths, 
more  courageous  than  the  rest,  leaped  from  the  canoe, 
and  swimming  —  now  diving,  now  sinking — to  di- 
vert the  enemy's  aim,  succeeded  in  reaching  the  flag, 
and,  with  a  strong  effort,  managed  to  bring  it  ashore, 
amid  the  exultations  of  the  inhabitants.  This  flag 
was  hung  in  the  cathedral  of  Quebec,  where  it  re- 
mained for  many  years,  a  witness  to  their  deliver- 
ance from  their  country's  enemies. 

The  English  guns  were  not  doing  anything  like 
the  work  of  their  opponents.  The  soldiers,  at  any 
time  poor  marksmen,  were  exceptionally  so  under 
this  heavy  fire,  and  many  of  their  shots  fell  harmless 
in  the  water,  or,  striking  against  the  cliff,  rolled  back 
in  seeming  derision.  The  expedition  set  out  ill  sup- 
plied with  powder,  and  now  the  effect  of  it  was  felt. 
The  gunners  were  given  but  scanty  supplies,  and 
had  to  use  them  with  the  utmost  care ;  so  much  so 
that  many  of  these  balls  did  not  pierce  the  houses  on 
which  they  fdl. 

Among  the  places  that  appear  to  have  suffered 
most  from  the  fire  was  the  Ursuline  Convent  of 
Quebec.  Many  refugees  from  the  country  as  well 
as  the  sick  and  wounded,  had  sought  shelter  here, 
and  were  terror-stricken  by  the  number  of  balls  that 
crashed  into  the  building,  doing  a  good  deal  of  dam- 
age. With  the  exception  of  a  rent  made  in  one  of 
the  Sisters*  aprons  by  a  ball,  all  within  the  then 
crowded  convent  escaped  personal  harm.  On  the 
whole  the  fleet  had  done  but  little  injury  to  Quebec. 

Phips    soon   began   to  realize  this.      The  echoes 


THE  FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


259 


)t  near 
ly  who 
rouths, 
canoe, 
-to  di- 
he  flag, 
ashore, 
lis  flag 
e  it  re- 
deliver- 

ng  like 
,  at  any 
3  under 
larmless 
led  back 
ill  sup- 
kvas  felt, 
lies,  and 
nuch  so 
uses  on 

suffered 
ivent  of 

as  well 

jr  here, 

ills  that 

lof  dam- 

h  one  of 

le  then 
)n    the 

Kiebec. 
echoes 


called  out  by  his  cannon  from  the  dark  rock,  seemed 
like  mockery  of  his  feeble  attempt  to  conquer  it  by 
water.  As  he  viewed  his  shattered  sails,  broken 
planks  and  quivering  masts,  pierced  with  many  shots, 
heard  the  groans  of  his  wounded,  and  saw  every- 
where many  dead,  for  whom  the  prayers  of  New 
England  were  even  then  ascending,  he  thought  some- 
thing must  be  wrong.  Perhaps  the  cause  was  un- 
just ;  at  any  rate,  he  felt  the  wisest  thing  he  could 
do  would  be  to  withdraw  and  see  what  he  and  Major 
Walley  might  be  able  to  plan  between  them. 

Poor  Walley  and  his  men  had  all  this  time  been 
suffering  terribly.  The  cold  Canadian  October 
weather  had  settled  down  upon  them,  and,  after  their 
retreat,  they  were  forced  to  realize  more  and  more  the 
task  they  had  undertaken.  As  they  lay  in  camp  on 
the  muddy  shore,  they  passed  a  sleepless  night, 
owing  to  the  intense  cold.  In  the  morning  all  about 
them  seemed  turned  to  ice,  and  their  wet  clothes 
were,  in  many  cases,  frozen  to  the  ground.  Shiver- 
ing they  arose,  made  another  feeble  attempt  to  ad- 
vance, only  to  be  repulsed.  Small-pox  broke  out 
among  them,  cutting  off  many.  Never  was  there  a 
more  hopeless  spectacle  ;  a  large  fleet,  many  miles 
from  home,  with  but  little  ammunition,  facing  an  in- 
surmountable rock,  without  any  regular  plan  of 
attack  ;  a  large  army  gathered  on  the  shore,  not 
knowing  what  to  do  next,  suffering  physically  and 
tormented  by  the  constant  fiie  of  sharpshooters. 

Phips,  although  not  a  man  of  good  judgment,  was 
yet  wise  enough  to  see  that  the  expedition  was  a 
total  failure,  and  so  decided  to  recall  Walley  and  give 
up  the  attack.     He  disliked  this  course  exti  ^mely. 


I 


i !! 


mmmm 


260 


T//E  FIRST  SIEGE   OF  QUEBEC. 


f:i 


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1     f ' 

(1  ;l 

■      1 

1 

iliii^i 


iiiii' 


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I  li 


He  had  proved  himself  to  be  a  man  of  remarkable 
courage,  and  as  he  paced  the  quarter-deck  of  his 
vessel  amid  the  steady  hail  of  bullets  he  was  the 
admiration  of  all  who  saw  him.  But  it  was  useless 
to  waste  his  men  in  the  struggle ;  the  ammunition 
was  almost  gone,  and  before  many  days  the  St,  Law- 
rence would  be  bridged  with  ice.  Boats  were  put 
ashore,  and  Walley  and  his  men  re-embarked  in  the 
utmost  confusion,  leaving  behind  five  pieces  of  artil- 
lery. An  attempt  was  afterwards  made  to  recover 
the  guns,  but  the  French  kept  up  such  a  heavy  fire 
on  the  party  detailed  for  this  duty  that  it  had  to  be 
abandoned. 

When  the  inhabitants  of  Quebec  realized  that  the 
enemy  had  withdrawn,  they  burst  into  shouts  ot 
exultation.  Cheer  after  cheer  ascended  from  the 
rocky  height,  and  amid  the  joyous  fire  of  the  guns 
and  the  cheers  of  the  people  could  be  heard  the  name 
of  their  preserver,  Frontenac.  Even  those  who  hated 
him  now  joined  with  the  others  in  doing  him  honor 
They  had,  indeed,  much  to  thank  liim  for.  But 
for  his  prompt  ction  in  or^'.ering  the  troops  to 
hasten  into  the  fortress,  from  the  various  points 
along  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  in  permitting  no  de- 
lay in  strengthening  the  fortifications,  the  English 
would  have  found  what  they  expected  — an  easy 
prey.  The  French  had  another  cause  for  rejoicing. 
They  had  begun  to  fear  a  protracted  siege,  and  as 
many  frightened  refugees  had  crowded  in  from  the 
surrounding  country,  starvation  had  already  begun 
to  stare  them  in  the  face.  But  now  this  dans^er 
was  over,  and  they  couM  rejoice.  But  yet  all  was 
not  joy  ;  for  with  their  gladness  mingled  sorrow  for 


THE  FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


261 


arkable 

of  his 
,vas  the 

useless 
munition 
5t.  Law- 
i^ere  put 
d  in  the 

of  artil- 
I  recover 
eavy  fire    ;, 
lad  to  be 

that  the 
ihouls  ot     « 
from   the 
the  guns 
the  name 
vho  hated 
im  honor 
for.     But 
loops    to 
s   points 
Icr  no  de- 
English 
an    easy 
Ircjoicing. 
]e,  an  i  as 
Ifrom  the 
lly  begun 
Is   danger 
t  all  was 
lorrow  for 


the  brave  sons  of  France  who  had  fallen  in  the  fight ; 
among  others  the  heroic  and  gallant  Le  Moyne  de 
Sainte-H61ene. 

The  fleet  withdrew  and  dropped  behind  the  island 
of  Orleans,  and  there  anchored  to  repair  the  vessels 
and  otherwise  prepare  for  their  ignominious  return. 
Some  of  their  masts  had  been  cut  away,  others  had 
their  sails  rent  in  many  places  by  the  iron  storm, 
and  many  of  the  hulls  had  their  sides  splintered, 
making  it  impossible  for  them  to  go  to  sea  until  the 
holes  had  been  stopped  up.  While  busy  in  this  way 
an  exchange  of  prisoners  was  accomplished. 

As  the  English  were  getting  ready  for  sea,  news 
was  brought  to  Quebec  that  the  vessels  carrying  the 
annual  supplies  of  money  and  provisions  were  in 
the  St.  Lawrence.  It  would  be  a  terrible  loss  to  the 
French  if  these  were  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
homeward-bound  fleet.  A  party  was  sent  out  to 
avert  this  disaster,  and  stealing  past  the  English, 
reached  these  vessels  and  warned  them  of  their  dan- 
ger. The  vessels,  three  in  number,  then  sped  up 
the  mountain-girt  Saguenay,  and  waited  for  Phips  to 
sail  past.  He,  however,  saw  and  pursued  them,  but 
the  French  were  apparently  having  a  run  of  good 
fortune,  and  a  sudden  snow  and  wind  storm  saved 
them  from  their  pursuers  and  permitted  them  to  sail 
joyfully  on  to  Quebec.  Their  arrival  filled  the  French 
colonists*  cup  of  happiness  to  overflowing.  Their  vic- 
torious Fleur-de-lis  waved  its  white  folds  smilingly 
over  the  chateau  ;  the  enemy  was  now  out  of  sight, 
his  power  so  broken  that  it  would  probably  be  long 
before  he  could  attempt  another  such  invasion  of 
Canada.     And  now  to  their  joy  is  added  this  arrival 


'  \ 


mm 


262 


r//E  FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


W  hi  ; 


«i.^il§:i 


«i« 


':    tt 


!,:<' 


''w 


1 


i,  .     ■       ! 

i  ■           \ 

-    1 

II 


from  La  Belie  France  with  plenty  of  money  and  sup- 
plies for  the  winter.  The  people  gave  themselves 
up  to  rejoicings. 

A  procession  was  formed  in  honor  of  France,  of 
the  king,  of  the  victory,  of  Frontenac,  and  of  the 
Saints  to  whose  intercession  they  ascribed  the  vic- 
tory. A  stranger  not  knowing  the  cause  would  have 
found  it  hard  to  understand  who  was  being  honored 
where  there  were  so  many  to  honor  and  so  much  to 
be  thankful  for.  At  the  head  of  the  procession  was 
borne  in  derision  the  flag  that  had  been  shot  from 
Phips'  vessel  and  afterwards  hung  in  the  cathedral, 
where  it  remained  until  1759,  when  it  was  burned  in 
the  conflagration  of  that  determined  siege  which 
placed  the  Union  Jack  of  England  permanently  on 
the  heights  of  Quebec.  This  rejoicing  was  kept 
up  all  daylong;  men,  women  and  children  joining 
in  the  many  processions ;  and  when  the  last  rays  of 
the  sun  faded  behind  the  hills,  a  huge  bonfire  in 
honor  of  their  white-haired  preserver  was  lighted  on 
the  summit  of  the  rock,  its  blaze  turning  the  night 
into  day.  Frontenac's  heart  was  overflowing  with 
joy.  He  had  suffered  m  xh  in  Canada,  but  this 
honor  from  his  children  was,  he  felt,  a  sufficient 
reward. 

The  story  is  almost  finished.  The  hasty  and  ill- 
managed  expedition  on  its  way  home  suffered  even 
greater  damage  than  it  did  before  Quebec.  The  Gulf 
and  Atlantic  were  then  darkening  with  the  autumn 
storms,  and  many  vessels  were  lost,  some  of  the 
crews  leaving  their  bones  to  bleach  on  the  desolate 
iron-bound  island  of  Anticosti,  then  as  now  the  sea- 
man's dread.     When  they  at  last  arrived  in  Boston, 


f  % 


i 


THE  FIRST  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


263 


it  was  found  that  between  the  havoc  of  battle,  dis- 
ease—  particularly  the  small-pox,  and  shipwrecks  — 
they  had  lost  in  all  about  a  thousand  men.  The 
trusting  puritans  who  had  so  earnestly  prayed  for 
victory  for  their  sons,  sent  up  a  wail  to  heaven. 
They  felt  that  the  sin  was  theirs ;  they  had  offended 
the  Almighty,  and  he  was  pouring  out  his  vials  of 
wrath  upon  them. 

So  many  of  the  able-bodied  men  were  called  away 
that  the  harvest  was  neglected,  and  a  famine  stared 
them  in  the  face.  The  preparations  had  so  exhausted 
their  treasury  that  the  colony  might  now  be  said  to 
be  bankrupt.  How  different  might  have  been  the 
story  had  proper  judgment  been  used !  However, 
it  was  a  terrible  lesson  from  experience,  and  one 
from  which  it  took  the  English  many  years  to  re- 
cover. Not  for  fifty  years  to  come  was  another 
attempt  made  to  take  the  heights  of  Quebec ;  and 
then  the  invaders  took  care  to  have  the  material 
of  a  very  different  sort. 


I'lr 

,    if 


ililjiii 


CHAPTER   VI. 


iii  i:     \ 


.'  ' 

! 

1 

i 

ji    : 

i 

1 

1 

1 

1 

THE   ACADIAN   EXILES, 

NOVA  vSCOTIA  or  Acadia  appears  to  have 
attracted  all  explorers,  from  the  old  Norse- 
men whose  voyages  now  seem  almost  like  a  myth, 
to  the  enterprising  Frenchmen  who  first  made  a  firm 
footing  on  the  fertile  peninsula.  The  Norsemen*  in 
coasting  southward  from  the  fogs  of  Newfoundland 
were  enchanted  by  this  smiling  land,  and  gratefully 
called  it  Vine-land.  No  relics  of  their  occupation 
have  ever  been  found,  and  it  is  quite  probable  that 
they  paid  it  merely  a  passing  visit. 

The  first  settlement  of  the  country  was  made  by 
De  Montsand  Champlain,  as  has  been  told  more  fully 
elsewhere.  These  determined  Frenchmen,  in  1604, 
after  buffeting  the  storms  of  the  Atlantic  in  their 
frail  vessels,  gladly  welcomed  this  sunny  land.  They 
visited  all  the  Southern  coast,  sailed  into  the  Bay 
of  Fundy  —  called  by  them  Bate  Franqaisc  —  and 
cast  anchor  in  the  peaceful,  storm-defying  inlet  now 
known  as  Annapolis  Basin.  The  weary  Frenchmen 
rested  for  a  time,  enraptured  with  the  scenery.  Gen- 
tle hills  clad  with  pine  and  maple,  brooks  abounding 
in  fish,  forests  teeming  with  game  everywhere  met 
their  gaze.     Lingering  there  awhile  they  enjoyed  the 

*  It  is  uncertain  whether  the  site  of  the  Norse  settlement  —  Vineland  —  was  Nova 
Scotia  or  New  Jersey ;  but  there  is  much  to  be  said  in  favor  of  the  first  supposition. 

264 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES. 


265 


beauty  of  the  spot  and  the  pleasures  of  the  chase 
and  feasted  on  the  abundant  game.  But  the  weather 
was  growing  cold,  and  as  they  did  not  wish  to  winter 
among  unknown  Indians  they  sailed  to  the  St.  Croix 
River,  and  went  into  winter  quarters  on  an  island 
for  safety.  The  terrible  experience  already  related 
in  the  story  of  St.  Croix  made  them  cast  longing 
thoughts  towards  Annapolis,  and  in  the  following 
spring  they  left  the  bleak  island  and  returned  to  the 
attractive  basin. 

Here  they  planted  the  historic  settlement  of  Port 
Royal.  History  does  not  present  a  more  attractive 
picture  than  that  of  the  early  days  of  this  little  colony. 
Champlainand  his  men  lived  in  the  greatest  harmony 
with  each  other  and  with  the  Indians.  The  wilder- 
ness life  had  the  charm  of  novelty,  and  the  pleasure- 
loving  Frenchmen,  to  wile  away  the  hours,  merrily 
filled  up  their  spare  time  with  the  dance  and  feast. 
The  Indians,  well-treated  by  the  strangers,  became 
their  firm  friends,  and  constantly  frequented  the 
settlement,  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  the  French, 
and  rewarding  it  with  many  a  good  bird  or  even 
deer,  brought  down  by  their  unerring  arrows.  This 
friendship  thus  formed  between  the  red-men  and  the 
French  lasted  throughout  their  intercourse ;  and 
until  the  English  had  taken  final  possession  of  the 
country  these  Indians  gave  valuable  assistance  to 
their  early  friends. 

This  gentle  Acadian  scene  was  soon  to  be  ruthlessly 
invaded.  The  first  rude  blow  was  struck  in  161 3, 
eight  years  after  the  founding  of  Port  Royal,  by  Cap- 
tain Samuel  Argall,  who  held  a  commission  from  the 
Governor  of  Virginia.     As  has  been  more  fully  told 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT.3) 


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«»*% 

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1.0 


I.I 


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£   1^    12.0 


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Corpcsation 


23  WIST  MAM  tTRHT 

WIMTn,N.Y.  UStO 

(7U)t73-4S03 


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TJ/£  ACADIAN  EXILES. 


in  a  previous  story,  this  adventurer,  learni:?g  of  the 
prosperity  of  the  Frenth,  resolved  to  seize  the 
country  for  England.  Sweeping  down  upon  it  with 
several  vessels  he  ravaged  the  settlements  along  the 
coast,  and  making  a  sudden  descent  upon  Port  Royal 
he  laid  it  in  ruins. 

Some  years  later  a  party  of  Scotchmen  attempted 
to  make  a  settlement,  but  failed.  A  later  effort,  by 
a  band  of  Frenchmen,  was  completely  baffled  by  an 
English  fleet  just  when  prospects  were  brightening. 
The  next  attempt  to  gain. a  footing  at  Nova  Scotia 
was  by  Charles  La  Tour,  who  dwelt  at  Port  Royal 
for  a  short  time,  but  eventually  went  to  Cape  Sable, 
where  he  built  a  fort  which  he  called  Fort  Louis. 
La  Tour's  father  was  taken  a  prisoner  to  England, 
and  while  there  married  an  English  wife.  He  was 
sent  out  to  Nova  Scotia  by  King  James  with  two 
vessel"  in  the  expectation  that  the  French  commander 
would  surrender  at  once. 

On  arriving  at  Fort  La  Tour  with  his  two  ships, 
he  called  on  his  son  to  surrender,  but  met  with  a 
blunt  refusal  to  all  his  solicitations.  An  attack  was 
then  made  on  the  fort,  but  such  a  strong  resistance 
was  offered  that  the  assailant  was  forced  to  give  up 
the  attempt.  He  then  went  with  his  colonists  to 
Port  Royal,  where  he  made  a  new  settlement.*  Dis- 
ease and  privation  greatly  lessened  the  numbers  of 
his  band,  and  the  attacks  of  the  Indians  who  clung 
closely  to  their  French  friends,  made  sad  havoc  in 
their  ranks.  In  ten  years  the  colony  was  completely 
destroyed.  The  generous  Charles  La  Tour  then 
invited  his  father  to  settle  near  Fort  Louis,  but 
would  never  permit  him  or    his   English   wife  to 

*The  second  Port  Royal  was  on  tha  louUi  aids  of  Annapolia  Baain  — tha  first 
bainc  on  tha  north  aide. 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES, 


f67 


enter  the  walls  he  had  tried  to  wrest  from  the 
French  king. 

In  1654  Cromwell  sent  a  fleet  to  Nova  Scotia  and 
succeeded  in  taking  possession  of  it.  But  on  the  ac- 
cession of  Charles  the  Second,  who  had  not  forgotten 
the  assistance  rendered  him  against  the  Protector,  he 
restored  Acadia  to  the  French.  These  raids,  made  ia 
time  of  war,  were  not  the  only  ones  with  which  the 
Acadians  had  to  contend.  The  Atlantic  coast,  in 
these  early  times,  swarmed  with  pirates,  and  not  a 
few  had  their  strongholds  in  islands  off  the  coast  of 
Maine.  Time  and  again  these  plunderers  swept 
down  upon  the  peaceful  settlers  and  robbed  them  of 
the  harvests  so  laboriously  won  from  the  soil.  If 
they  attempted  resistance  their  homes  and  bams 
were  ruthlessly  consigned  to  the  flames. 

From  the  accession  of  Charles  the  Second  till 
1690  the  settlers  of  Nova  Scotia  dwelt  in  comparative 
peace  ;  but  in  that  year  the  deeds  of  the  three  war- 
parties  had  so  exasperated  the  New  Englanders  that 
a  wholesale  invasion  of  Canada  was  planned.  Being 
in  need  of  money,  they  must  make  a  levy  on  the 
sunny  fields  of  Acadia.  Sir  William  Phips,  with 
three  vessels,  drawing  up  his  fleet  before  Port  Royal 
demanded  its  surrender.  The  governor  of  the  fort, 
M.  de  Meneval,  complied  without  resistance,  as  the 
stronghold  was  in  a  ruined  condition  and  his  soldiers 
were  too  few  in  number  to  withstand  the  English. 
In  the  following  year  it  was  again  captured  by  the 
French.  Another  effort  was  made  to  seize  it  in 
1707 ;  but  the  French  made  a  noble  stand  and  the 
English  forces  were  driven  back. 

In  1 7 10  the  English  made  a  determined  attack 


I'lni^ 


268 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES. 


3    i 


which  forever  crushed  the  French  power  in  Nova 
Scotia.  New  England  and  Britain  united  their 
forces,  and  a  large  and  well-equipped  fleet  under  the 
veteran,  General  Nicholson,  set  sail  for  the  scene  of 
conflict.  Governor  Subercase,  seeing  how  greatly 
he  was  outnumbered,  at  first  thought  of  immediate 
surrender,  but  afterwards  determined  to  make  an 
effort  to  hold  out.  After  six  days,  however,  he  ca- 
pitulated and  when  General  Nicholson  entered  the 
place,  he  found  the  garrison,  as  well  as  the  other  in- 
habitants, on  the  point  of  starvation.  The  general 
then  changed  the  name  of  the  place  to  Annapolis 
Royal,  in  honor  of  Queen  Anne,  who  had  largely  as- 
sisted the  expedition  out  of  her  own  private  purse. 
Never  again  did  the  French  flag  float  over  Annapolis. 
This  conquest  was  final,  but  peace  did  not  follow. 

Although  General  Nicholson  took  possession  of 
the  capital  in  17 10,  it  was  not  till  three  years  later 
that  the  right  of  possession  was  acknowledged  by  the 
French  in  the  Treaty  of  Utrecht.  It  was  not  so 
easy  to  make  the  Acadian  peasants  good  English 
subjects.  They  still  naturally  clung  to  the  mother- 
land and  refused  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance.  The 
parish  priests  spared  no  efforts  to  foster  in  their  flocks 
a  hatred  of  the  invaders,  so  it  was  not  for  twenty 
years  that  the  Acadians  could  be  persuaded  to  take 
the  oath  of  allegiance ;  and  then,  only  on  condition 
that  they  were  not  to  be  called  to  fight  for  the 
English,  or  even  protect  their  own  homes  against 
their  countrymen. 

For  nineteen  years  after  the  invasion  under  Gen- 
eral Nicholson,  Annapolis  remained  the  capital  of 
Nova  Scotia ;  but  the  English  felt  that  it  was  not 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES. 


269 


Strong  enough  to  overawe  the  French  population, 
should  a  general  rising  occur.  To  remedy  this  weak- 
ness they  resolved  to  establish  another  stronghold 
on  Chebueto  Bay.  In  1749  Edward  Cornwallis  sailed 
up  the  bay  with  a  fleet  carrying  two  thousand  five 
hundred  settlers,  and  soon  the  foundation  of  the 
present  city  of  Halifax  was  laid. 

The  Acadians  and  friendly  Indians  were  greatly 
dismayed  at  the  sight  of  this  new  colony  and  hin- 
dered the  work  by  every  means  in  their  power. 
They  hovered  about  the  outskirts  of  the  settlement, 
and  when  any  unwary  settler  strayed  into  the 
woods  he  rarely  returned.  Not  infrequently  they 
would  apply  the  torch  to  some  one  of  the  newly 
erected  buildings,  and  then  hurriedly  retreat  to  their 
hiding-places  to  watch  with  delight  the  flames  that 
completed  their  fiendish  work. 

The  naturally  peace-loving  Acadian  farmers  would 
probably  never  have  interfered  with  the  English  but 
for  their  priests,  who  led  them  like  sheep.  Chief 
among  these  instigators  was  Abb6  Le  Loutre,  who 
had  come  to  Acadia  as  a  missionary  to  the  Indians. 
He  did  all  he  could  to  embroil  the  Acadians  with 
their  new  masters,  threatening  both  temporal  and 
eternal  punishment  if  they  should  aid  the  settlers  or 
even  desist  from  harassing  them.  From  the  pulpit 
he  taught  that  loyalty  to  the  King  of  France  was 
essential  to  the  winning  of  a  happy  hereafter ;  and 
when  such  means  failed  he  threatened  the  Acadians 
with  his  Indians,  who  were  only  too  ready  for  plun- 
der and  even  for  murder.  His  mission  was  on  the 
Shubenacadie  river,  about  a  day's  journey  from 
Halifax.     His  charge  consisted  of  a  band  of  Indians 


m'^Trr 


mm 


370 


TffB  ACADIAN  EXILBS, 


I  ill 


I: 


living  in  smoky  wigwams,  depending  upon  plunder 
for  a  subsistence,  little  caring  whether  their  daily 
food  came  from  friend  or  foe.  Over  these  Indians 
this  bold  fanatic  priest  had  a  strong  influence,  and 
they  willingly  followed  wherever  he  led.  They  hated 
the  English.  Ever  since  the  good  old  times  of 
Champlain,  of  happy  memory,  they  had  a  strong 
liking  for  the  first  settlers,  and  did  not  take  kindly 
to  the  new  regime. 

Le  Loutre,  fearing  lest  long  'familiarity  with  the 
English  might  make  the  Acadians  at  length  willing 
to  submit  to  the  rule  of  the  hatei  intruders,  en- 
deavored to  persuade  them  to  leave  the  peninsula. 
Not  a  few  were  led,  either  by  force  or  persuasion,  to 
leave  their  farms  and  seek  new  abodes  on  He  St. 
Jean  —  Cape  Breton  —  or  in  the  woods  of  New  Bruns- 
wick. This  was,  perhaps,  a  more  cruel  exile  than  the 
wholesale  one  which  shortly  followed.  For  the  poor 
French  had  no  heart  to  begin  life  over  again  in  a 
strange  land.  They  looked  with  longing,  regretful 
eyes  towards  their  lovely  farms  about  the  Basin  of 
Minas  and  the  Annapolis  Valley,  and  had  no  energy 
left  to  clear  the  forest  and  create  new  homes  in  the 
wilderness.  They  struggled  on  in  the  most  abject 
poverty,  dwelling  in  the  rudest  abodes  and  living 
on  the  coarsest  food.  Their  children  were  almost 
destitute  of  clothing,  and  it  was  not  an  uncommon 
sight  to  see  them  going  about  without  a  rag  of 
covering.  Disease  and  death  were  the  natural  re- 
sults ;  and  many  more  would  have  perished  but  for 
the  aid  given  them  by  the  French  Government. 

Le  Loutre's  was  not  the  only  influence  to  keep  the 
French  and  Acadians  apart  and  the  Indians  hostile. 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES. 


371 


He  was  merely  acting  as  a  zealous  servant  for  his 
master.  He  and  La  Jonqui^re,  the  French  governor, 
were  acting  in  concert,  and  large  sums  of  money 
were  supplied  to  carry  out  his  plans.  Nor  was  the 
French  governor  of  Canada  his  only  assistant. 
Louis  the  Fifteenth  and  his  ministers  were  well 
aware  of  the  state  of  affairs  in  Acadia,  and  showed 
their  approval  of  Le  Loutre's  work  by  contributions  of 
money  and  gifts  for  his  Indian  allies,  as  well  as  by 
letters  of  direct  encouragement.  The  malignant 
fanatic  did  not  hesitate  to  urge  the  Indians  and  goad 
the  Acadians  to  attack  and  slay.  He  even  set  a 
price  on  English  scalps  ;  and  not  a  few  were  pai  i  for 
by  his  hand.  The  people  of  Halifax  soon  found  out 
that  he  was  the  instigator  of  many  of  the  cruelties 
practiced  upon  them,  and  efforts  were  made  to  take 
htm,  alive  or  dead.  But  the  wily  priest  was  too 
much  on  his  guard,  and  succeeded  in  eluding  the 
attempted  capture.  In  these  circumstances  it  had 
become  absolutely  necessary  to  take  some  decisive 
step.  The  Acadians  must  be  either  persuaded  or 
compelled  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance.  And  this 
was  the  cause  of  the  sad  story  which  follows. 

The  first  two  British  governors  of  Nova  Scotia  — 
Cornwallis  and  his  successor  Hopson — were  warm- 
hearted, sympathetic  men  ;  both  realized  the  position 
of  the  poor  Acadians,  and  tried  to  make  them  con- 
tented and  loyal  subjects.  They  received  assistance 
in  loans ;  they  were  left  in  peaceable  possession  of 
their  farms,  and  they  were  not  asked  to  fight  with 
the  English  against  their  French  brethren. 

The  first  great  breach  between  the  English  and 
the  Acadians  occurred  at  the  isthmus  of  Chignecto, 


wrw 


271 


r^E  ACADiAN  EXILES. 


'1  1 


,  ■«■ 


li^ 


which  was  supposed  to  be  the  boundary  between  the 
French  and  English  possessions.  Although  the 
mother  countries  were  still  quarreling  over  the  boun- 
daries of  their  colonies,  it  was  generally  understood 
by  the  colonists  that  the  little  stream  Missaquash, 
was  on  the  line.  The  French  had  encamped  on  a 
little  hill  called  Beau  S6jour,  to  the  north  of  this 
stream,  with  a  strong  force  under  two  officers,  Bois- 
h^bert  and  La  Come.  On  the  south  side  of  the 
stream  lay  the  quiet  little  hamlet  of  Beau  Bassin 
with  its  numerous  and  thrifty  villagers. 

The  French  officers  encouraged  and  aided  the 
peaceful  farmers  to  leave  their  homes  on  the  English 
side  and  come  over  to  the  French  territory,  and  the 
ever-vigilant  Le  Loutre  greatly  exerted  himself  in 
helping  on  this  emigration.  Besides  this,  these  sim- 
ple people  were  easily  led  to  keep  up  petty  attacks  on 
the  English  in  concert  with  their  Indian  allies. 
Cornwallis  sav  that  the  only  way  to  put  an  end  to  this 
annoyance  was  to  occupy  Beau  Bassin  with  a  strong 
force,  and  to  erect  a  fort  south  of  the  Missaquash 
to  counteract  the  effect  of  the  troops  at  Beau  S^jour. 
He  therefore,  in  the  spring  of  1750,  sent  Major 
Lawrence,  with  four  hundred  men,  to  take  possession 
of  Beau  Bassin. 

Le  Loutre,  hearing  the  approach  of  the  fleet,  com- 
manded the  Acadians  to  emigrate  to  the  French 
territory.  But  as  they  loved  dearly  the  farms  on 
which  they  had  spent  years  of  toil,  many  of  them 
refused  to  obey.  Their  evil  genius,  Le  Loutre,  then 
called  his  Micmacs  to  his  aid,  who  assisted  him  in 
setting  fire  to  the  church,  the  dwellings  and  barns,  and 
so  left  the  homeless  peasants  no  other  course  ;  and 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES, 


873 


with  heavy  hearts  these  first  exiles  left  the  scene  of 
their  former  tranquil  and  happy  life.  When  Law< 
rence  arrived,  he  sent  his  troops  ashore,  but  as 
La  Corne  came  out  to  give  him  battle  with  a  force 
twice  his  number,  he  quickly  re-embarked.  In  Sep- 
tember he  returned  with  a  much  larger  force,  and 
taking  possession  of  Beau  Bassin,  created  a  palisaded 
fort,  naming  it  after  himself  —  Fort  Lawrence. 

For  the  next  five  years  the  colony  was  in  a  troubled 
and  excited  state.  The  Acadians  longed  to  come 
back  to  their  deserted  farms,  and  would  have  been 
gladly  welcomed  by  both  Cornwallis  and  Hopson, 
but  all  their  efforts  were  thwarted  by  Le  Loutre. 
The  next  governor  of  Nova  Scotia  was  a  very  differ- 
ent man  from  either  Cornwallis  or  Hopson.  Governor 
Lawrence  was  much  sterner  in  character  than  either 
of  his  kindly  predecessors.  When  he  came  into 
power  Nova  Scotia  needed  a  strong,  sure  and  per- 
haps severe  hand. 

The  French  ministry  and  Du  Quesne,  the  Gov- 
ernor of  Canada,  were  planning  a  general  rising  of 
the  Acadians  still  left  in  the  Province  and  an  attack 
by  the  French  troops  on  the  British  colony.  Le 
Loutre  was  corresponding  with  Du  Quesne,  and  to 
him  was  assigned  the  task  of  exciting  the  Acadians 
to  rebellion,  while  Vergor,  the  commandant  of  Beau 
S^jour,  was  t5  bring  his  soldiers  to  their  aid.  Gov- 
ernor Lawrence,  knowing  that  the  small  body  of  troops 
in  Nova  Scotia  would  stand  a  poor  chance  in  case  of 
a  general  uprising,  determined  to  go  vigorously  to 
work  at  once  and  take  the  aggressive.  He  wrote  to 
Shirley,  who  was  Governor  of  New  England,  telling 
him  of  the  intended  invasion  and  especially  of  the 


»74 


THR  ACADIAN  EX/LBS. 


\ 


% 


111: 


l! 

141/ 

u 


■i' 


I 


%^\ 


attack  planned  on  Fort  Lawrence,  adding  that  he 
thought  it  "  high  time  to  drive  them  "  (the  Acadians) 
•^'from  the  north  side  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy." 

Monckton  was  the  bearer  of  Lawrence's  letter, 
with  authority  to  induce  Shirley  to  raise  two  thou- 
sand soldiers  in  New  England  for  the  attack  of  Beau 
S^jour  and  the  surrounding  forts.  Shirley  readily 
agreed  and  commissioned  John  Winslow  to  collect 
the  troops.  A  motley  crowd  of  all  crafts  and  pro- 
fessions were  ready  to  join  the  expedition.  After 
many  delays,  on  the  twenty-second  of  May,  1755, 
the  vessels  that  were  to  bear  them  to  the  scene  of 
conflict  were  ready  for  sea,  and  they  arrived  at  their 
destination  on  the  evening  of  the  fifth  of  June. 

When  the  sun  shone  next  morning  it  revealed  the 
fleet  lying  off  Beau  Sdjour,  to  the  great  alarm  of  the 
commandant.  He  at  once  called  in  all  the  men  fit 
for  bearing  arms,  and  sent  messengers  to  rouse  the 
other  forts  in  his  vicinity.  Monckton,  now  in  com- 
mand of  the  force  sent  by  Shirley,  landed  his  men, 
encamped  round  Fort  Lawrence  -and  began  prepara- 
tions for  the  siege.  Vergor  held  out  for  a  fortnight, 
but  an  unexpected  incident  led  him  hastily  to  come 
to  terms. 

One  morning,  while  a  party  of  ofBcers  were  break- 
fasting in  what  they  supposed  to  be  a  bomb-proof 
room,  a  shell  burst  in  among  them,  Killing  six  and 
wounding  others.  Vergor,  who  was  never  too  brave, 
was  with  a  party  of  officers  in  the  other  bomb-proof 
room.  He  began  to  tremble  for  his  life,  and  speedily 
concluded  to  call  a  truce.  He  ran  up  a  white  flag 
over  his  fort,  much  to  the  amazement  of  the  besiegers 
who  were  preparing  for  a  long  siege. 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES. 


ars 


that  he 
cadians) 

s  letter, 
vo  thou- 
:  of  Beau 
^  readily 

0  collect 
and  pro- 
[1.    After 

ay,  1755. 
scene  of 
d  at  their 
une. 

/ealed  the 
irm  of  the 
le  men  fit 
rouse  the 
w  in  com- 

1  his  men, 
1  prepara- 
fortnight, 
y  to  come 

ere  break- 
omb-proof 
ig  six  and 
1  too  brave, 
lomb-proof 
id  speedily 
(white  flag 
i  besiegers 


Le  Loutre,  who  knew  he  had  little  mercy  to  ex- 
pect from  the  English,  was  the  only  man  to  oppose 
capitulation.  He  stormed  and  raved  at  what  he 
called  cowardice,  and  declared  it  better  to  have  the 
whole  fort  in  ruins  about  them  than  to  yield  it  to  the 
hated  foe.  But  Vergor  saw  no  chance  of  outside  aid, 
while  he  saw  many  chances  of  another  destructive 
intruder,  and  so  gave  no  heed  to  the  priest's  wrath, 
but  sent  out  an  officer  to  propose  terms. 

A  settlement  was  quickly  arrived  at,  and  the  Brit- 
ish took  possession  of  Beau  S^jour,  changing  its  name 
to  Fort  Cumberland.  Le  Loutre  was  seen  no  more 
in  Acadia.  He  escaped  from  the  fort,  and  after  a 
weary  journey  reached  Quebec,  whence  he  sailed  for 
France,  but  was  captured  by  the  English  and  for 
eight  years  remained  a  prisoner  on  the  island  of 
Jersey. 

Governor  Lawrence  strongly  desired  to  secure  the 
Acadians  as  British  subjects ;  but  it  was  indispen- 
sable that  they  should  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to 
the  English  king.  In  the  spring  of  this  year  he 
made  a  proclamation  to  this  effect  and  all  might  have 
availed  themselves  of  this  opportunity  for  a  harmo- 
nious settlement.  But  very  few,  however,  complied. 
Even  when  Beau  S^jour  was  attacked  they  still  held 
firmly  to  their  motherland  and  to  what  they  believed 
to  be  their  duty  to  their  Church.  After  Beau  S^jour 
fell  the  whole  peninsula  was  absolutely  in  the  hands 
of  the  British.  Still  the  Acadians  stubbornly  and 
stupidly  refused  to  take  the  oath.  Lawrence  saw  no 
other  course  than  the  severe  one  of  compelling  them 
to  leave  the  isthmus  altogether.  Before  doing  so, 
however,  he  gave  them  another  chance.     He  sent 


376 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES. 


11 


for  messengers  to  report  from  the  people  in  the  vari- 
ous hamlets.  No  satisfaction  was  received.  The 
deputies  were  even  insolent  to  the  governor,  who 
learned  that  the  Acadians  were  expecting  a  French 
descent  on  the  Province  and  that  this  was  why  they 
so  obstinately  resisted  his  commands. 

It  was  plain  that  even  if  they  did  take  the  oath 
they  could  not  be  trusted.  The  Council  met  in 
Halifax  to  receive  the  deputies  and,  after  carefully 
considering  the  past  and  present  conduct  of  the 
Acadians  and  the  possibility  of  making  them  peace- 
ful citizens,  they  decided  that  the  only  safe  course 
for  the  colony  was  to  banish  them  from  the  peninsula. 

Monckton,  then  at  Beau  S^jour,  was  informed  of  the 
decision  of  the  Council,  and  ordered  to  make  pris- 
oners of  all  the  adult  males  in  and  about  the  fort. 
He  at  once  obeyed  orders  and  summoned  the  men 
and  boys  to  appear.  About  a  third  complied  and  the 
remainder  fled  to  the  woods  and  escaped  the  soldiers 
sent  out  to  bring  them  in. 

Colonel  Winslow  was  ordered  to  perform  the  same 
task  at  the  Basin  of  Minas,  where  occurred  the  sad 
events  so  pathetically  pictured  in  Longfellow's  beau- 
tiful poem  of  "Evangeline."  Major  Handfield,  in 
command  of  Annapolis,  had  to  perform  the  same 
duty  in  his  portion  of  the  country.  It  was  decided 
by  the  Council  that  it  would  be  necessary  to  exile  the 
Acadians  to  the  Southern  States  and  New  England. 
It  would  not  do  to  send  them  to  any  of  the  French 
possessions,  for  this  would  only  strengthen  the 
enemy's  ranks,  and  the  hatred  engendered  by  this 
exile  would  make  them  the  most  bitter  foes.  The 
removal  of  the  Acadians  from  the  isthmus  was  not 


I 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES. 


•11 


a  success,  as  many  of  the  prisoners  escaped  to  the 
French  territory.  Nor  was  the  exile  from  Annapolis 
as  thorough  as  the  British  had  hoped.  News  of  the 
intended  removal  was  rumored  abroad  and  very  many 
of  the  peasants  escaped  to  the  woods  and  eluded 
the  troops. 

Great  care  was  taken  not  to  alarm  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Basin  of  Minas,  and  the  exile  from  this  region 
was  sudden  and  complete.  Colonel  Winslow  left 
Monckton's  camp  at  Beau  S^jour  on  his  painful  mis- 
sion, in  the  middle  of  August.  Before  setting  out 
he  received  orders  to  get  the  French  on  board  his 
vessels  at  all  hazards  :  "  If  you  find  that  fair  means 
will  not  do  with  them  you  must  proceed  by  the  most 
vigorous  measures  possible ;  not  only  in  compelling 
them  to  embark,  but  in  depriving  those  who  shall 
escape  of  all  means  of  shelter  or  support,  by  burn- 
ing their  houses  and  by  destroying  everything  that 
may  afford  them  the  means  of  subsistence  in  the 
country."  He  had  with  him  three  hundred  men  to 
aid  in  obeying  these  grim  orders. 

August  in  Nova  Scotia  is  always  a  delightful 
month.  This  year  it  was  particularly  pleasant.  The 
rain  and  sunshine  had  equally  blessed  the  land,  and 
a  bountiful  harvest  was  standing  in  the  valleys  wait- 
ing to  be  gathered  into  the  barns.  Winslow  was 
enchanted  with  the  beauty  of  the  scene ;  the  rich 
yellow  valleys,  the  long  line  of  waving  grass  on  the 
dyke-lands  and  the  upland  fields  where  herds  of  cattle 
grazed.  He  had  not  the  heart  at  once  to  summon 
the  inhabitants  and  make  them  prisoners.  He  pre- 
ferred to  let  them  harvest  the  grain  first  and  then 
strike  the  cruel  blow. 


278 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES. 


He  fixed  his  headquarters  at  Grand  Pr^,  and  as  he 
had  reason  to  fear  a  rising  of  the  Acadians  who  out- 
numbered his  men  five  to  one,  he  built  a  stockade 
round  his  camp.  This  completely  deceived  the  un- 
suspecting farmers,  who  supposed  that  the  troops 
were  to  be  stationed  with  them  for  the  winter. 
When  the  industrious  Acadians  had  almost  filled 
their  barns  to  overflowing,  Winslow  determined  to 
begin  his  work,  and  although  he  hated  the  task,  he 
was  determined  to  obey  the  orders  of  Governor 
Lawrence  to  the  letter. 

On  the  second  of  September  he  issued  an  edict 
"to  the  people  at  Grand  Pr6,  Minas  Basin,  River 
Canard,  and  other  adjacent  places,  requiring  both 
old  and  young  men,  as  well  as  all  the  lads  of  ten 
years  of  age,  to  attend  at  the  church  in  Grand  Vxh  on 
Friday  the  fifth  instant,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, that  we  may  impart  what  we  are  ordered  to 
communicate  to  them."  The  astonished  farmers 
hastened  to  finish  their  harvest  so  as  to  be  able  to 
take  a  holiday  on  Friday  to  obey  the  summons  ;  and 
on  Thursday  evening  the  setting  sun  saw  scarcely 
any  grain  in  the  fields. 

On  Friday,  the  little  chapel  was  crowded  with 
anxious  faces,  and  a  death-like  silence  reigned  while 
Winslow  announced  to  them  the  decision  of  the  king 
as  committed  to  him  by  Governor  Lawrence  :  "  That 
all  the  French  inhabitants  of  these  districts  be  re- 
moved ;  and  that,  through  his  Majesty's  goodness,  I 
am  directed  to  allow  you  the  liberty  of  carrying  with 
you  your  money  and  as  many  of  your  household 
goods  as  you  can  take  without  overloading  the  vessels 
you  go  in."     The  naturally  kind-hearted  Winslow 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES. 


279 


added,  by  way  of  a  little  cheer :  "  I  shall  do  every- 
thing in  my  power  that  all  these  goods  be  secured  to 
you,  and  that  you  be  not  molested  in  carrying  them 
away,  and  also  that  whole  families  shall  go  in  the 
same  vessels  ;  so  that  this  removal  which,  I  am  sen- 
sible, must  give  you  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  may  be 
made  as  easily  as  his  Majesty's  service  will  admit ; 
and  I  hope  in  whatever  part  of  the  world  your  lot 
may  fall,  you  may  be  faithful  subjects,  and  a  peace- 
able, happy  people." 

There  were  four  hundred  and  eighteen  men  assem- 
bled in  the  church  when  this  startling  edict  was 
announced  ;  and  their  heavy  hearts  could  scarcely 
comprehend  the  voice  that  told  them  they  should  no 
longer  enjoy  the  tranquil  life  of  their  lovely  valleys. 
They  could  not  realize  that  Winslow  actually  intended 
to  drive  them  out  of  Nova  Scotia.  They  imagined 
that  it  was  only  a  new  scheme  to  induce  them  to 
take  the  oath  of  allegiance. 

Some  of  the  old  men  begged  permission  to  visit 
their  families  and  tell  them  the  cause  of  their  im- 
prisonment. Winslow  consulted  with  his  officers, 
and,  in  order  to  show  them  as  much  kindness  as 
possible,  they  determined  that  twenty  should  each 
day  visit  their  homes.  Messengers  were  sent  to  the 
friends  of  the  prisoners,  telling  them  of  the  position 
of  their  relatives  and  asking  supplies  of  food.  All 
the  millers  were  permitted  to  return  to  their  mills 
and  keep  them  at  work,  but  strict  guard  was  main- 
tained over  the  rest. 

By  this  simple  means,  without  any  loss  of  life,  all 
the  able-bodied  men  capable  of  bearing  arms  were 
made  prisoners  without  striking  a  blow.     It  was  well 


38o 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES, 


i'l 


M  \ 


they  made  no  resistance,  as  the  troops  hated  the 
whole  Acadian  population  and  would  not  have  hesi- 
tated to  shed  blood  on  the  slightest  pretext. 

While  waiting  for  transports  to  bear  the  French 
away,  Winslow  suffered  constant  anxiety  lest  they 
should  muster  courage  enough  to  attempt  resistance. 
They  had  to  be  allowed  exercise,  and  he  feared  that 
when  out  of  the  church  it  might  occur  to  them  to 
make  a  rush  to  arms ;  and  should  they  once  gain 
possession  of  these,  the  handful  of  New  England 
soldiers  would  have  a  hard  task  to  keep  them 
from  gaining  their  liberty  and  slaughtering  their 
keepers. 

About  the  middle  of  the  week  following  their  cap- 
ture ominous  glances  were  noticed  among  the  pris- 
oners, and  a  rising  was  dreaded.  In  order  to  avoid 
any  such  calamity,  Winslow  determined  that  fifty  of 
the  men  should  be  placed  on  board  each  of  the  five 
transports  lying  a  short  distance  from  the  mouth  of 
the  Gaspereau  River.  The  prisoners  misunderstood 
the  movement  and  thought  it  a  ruse  to  get  them  on 
board  the  vessels  that  were  to  bear  them  away  at 
once.  They  refused  to  go.  No  persuasion  could 
make  them  change  their  resolve.  A  squad  of  soldiers 
was  ordered  to  fix  bayonets  and  advance  on  them. 

On  seeing  the  cold  steel  they  began  to  waver,  and 
when  Winslow  seized  one  of  the  foremost  young 
men  by  the  shoulder  he  tremblingly  obeyed.  Slowly 
the  whole  company  followed,  praying,  singing  and 
crying.  The  women  and  children,  ever  near  the 
church,  had  heard  of  the  intended  embarkation,  and 
as  their  friends  marched  along  the  dusty  road  to  the 
river,  they  met  them  weeping  and  praying,  mothers. 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES. 


281 


lovers  and  wives,  lamenting  the  dear  ones  who  they 
believed  were  being  torn  from  them. 

The  vessels  were  anchored  well  out  in  the  stream 
and  a  guard  of  six  men  was  placed  on  each.  The 
fHends  of  the  prisoners  were  permitted  to  bring  them 
food  every  day  in  boats.  This  troublesome  task  of 
placing  the  fir^t  company  on  board  of  the  transport, 
seems  to  have  weighed  heavily  upon  Winslow,  who 
speaks  of  the  affair  as  "  more  grievous  to  me  than 
any  service  I  was  ever  employed  in."  However,  his 
duty  had  to  be  done  and  the  sooner  the  whole  work 
was  over,  the  better.  He  anxiously  looked  for  the 
provisions  that  were  to  supply  the  vessels  ;  but  days 
extended  to  weeks  and  still  not  a  sail  came  in  sight. 
Other  transports  in  addition  to  the  five  now  lying  in 
the  Gaspereau  were  expected,  but  these,  too,  did  not 
appear. 

At  last,  when  the  October  frosts  had  begun  to 
color  the  hillsides  with  golden  and  ruddy  hues,  seven 
more  vessels  sailed  into  the  Basin  of  Minas,  and  the 
long-delayed  work  of  embarkation  began  in  earnest. 
To  the  last  the  poor  captives  thought  that  this  threat- 
ened exile  was  only  a  scheme  to  frighten  them  into 
obedience,  and  it  was  not  until  they  were  ordered  to 
pack  up  their  goods  and  to  march  with  their  families 
to  the  vessels  that  they  realized  the  truth  that  they 
were  leaving  their  homes  forever. 

On  the  eighth  of  October  the  cruel  work  was 
begun.  No  sadder  scene  could  be  imagined.  Weep- 
ing mothers  carrying  their  weeping  children,  strong 
sons  and  daughters  wheeling  their  aged  parents  in 
carts,  all  lamenting  the  forced  and  cruel  removal. 
There  was  now  no  chance  of  escape.     They  must 


r-T 


283 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES, 


\'^ 


say  farewell  to  Acadia.  Winslow  felt  for  the  inhab- 
itants, and  did  all  he  could  to  make  their  lot  as  com- 
fortable as  possible'  under  the  circumstances.  He 
did  not  permit  any  of  his  soldiers  to  ill-treat  them  or 
pillage  their  goods,  and  severely  punished  those  who 
disobeyed  this  order.  Great  care  was  taken  to  em- 
bark all  the  members  of  families  on  board  the  same 
vessel,  and  not  to  add  to  the  misery  of  exile  that  of 
separation. 

On  the  twenty-seventh  of  the  month,  all  were  on 
board  whom  the  transports  could  carry,  and  they  put 
out  to  sea  with  their  sorrowful  cargo  of  human  souls. 
This  was  not  the  end  of  the  gloomy  undertaking. 
Six  hundred  prisoners  were  still  left  behind  at  Grand 
Pr6,  and  Winslow  could  not  depart  until  they  were 
shipped  for  other  lands.  Several  months  elapsed  in 
weary  waiting  for  the  needed  transports,  and  about 
two  days  before  Christmas  "  the  last  of  the  French- 
men passed  Cape  Blomidon  on  the  way  to  the  land 
of  the  stranger." 

But  a  few  months  before  a  busy  and  happy, 
although  densely  ignorant  people,  occupied  the  smil- 
ing valley  of  the  Gaspereau,  labored  on  its  fertile 
dyke-lands  or  fished  on  the  broad  waters  of  the  Bay 
of  Fundy.  Now  silence  reigned  everywhere.  Two 
hundred  and  fifty  dwelling-houses,  two  hundred  and 
seventy-six  barns  laden  with  grain  to  overflowing, 
eleven  mills  and  the  church,  had  all  been  consigned 
to  the  flames.  The  only  living  creatures  left  were 
the  beasts  of  the  field  or  an  occasional  terror-stricken 
fugitive  lurking  in  some  cave  or  deep  wood.  Sad  as 
was  the  catastrophe,  it  was  at  least  a  redeeming 
feature  that  it  was  almost  entirely  bloodless ;  only 


THE  ACADIAN  EXILES. 


a83 


two  who  had  escaped  and  would  not  surrender  being 
slain. 

From  other  parts  of  Nova  Scotia  similar  sad  scenes 
took  place,  though  not  executed  in  so  complete  a 
manner  nor  with  such  humanity.  The  Acadians 
were  scattered  all  along  the  Atlantic  coast  as  far 
south  as  Florida  and  Louisiana,  where  many  of  their 
descendants  are  still  to  be  found.  Some  returned  as 
soon  as  possible,  while  others  took  years  to  toil  back 
to  the  land  they  dearly  loved. 

But  more  cruel  than  any  of  the  other  phases  of  the 
Acadian  exile  was  the  emigration  to  Canada  encour- 
aged by  the  French  governor  and  priests.  Many 
who  went  as  far  as  Quebec  were  robbed  of  the  little 
store  of  ?^oods  that  they  had  been  able  to  carry  with 
them,  and  nearly  all  the  poor  refugees  met  with  a 
very  cold  reception  at  the  hands  of  their  own  fellow 
countrymen. 


I'll 


CHAPTER  VII. 


I:  ^»-{i 


THE   GREAT   SIEGE  OP   QUEBEC. 


i'       *  I. 


!'  I 


i'*; 


THE  first  siege  of  Quebec  ended,  as  has  been 
already  told,  in  the  inglorious  defeat  of  Sir 
William  Phips ;  and  for  a  time  the  triumphant 
French  pillaged  at  their  pleasure  the  neighboring 
settlements.  All  hostilities,  however,  were  ended 
by  the  Treaty  of  Ryswick.  One  year  after  that  the 
energetic  Frontenac  passed  away  in  the  land  where 
nearly  ali  his  best  years  had  been  spent  in  ceaseless 
toil.  The  colonies  remained  at  peace  with  each 
other  until  the  Marquis  de  Vaudreuil  was  appointed 
governor  of  New  France,  in  1703.  At  that  time  a 
war  broke  out  between  Britain  and  France  in  the 
Old  World,  and,  as  before,  the  children  of  the  com- 
batants took  up  the  quarrel  in  the  New.  The  war 
lasted  ten  years,  and  although  the  French  had  the 
best  of  it  in  America,  they  were  so  badly  beaten  in 
Europe  that  at  its  close  they  gave  up  to  the  English 
by  the  Treaty  of  Utrecht,  Acadia,  Newfoundland  — 
taken  during  the  struggle  —  the  Hudson  Bay  Terri- 
tory and  the  sovereignty  over  the  Iroquois. 

After  that  came  a  long  interval  of  peace.  But  a 
standing  jealousy  had  all  along  existed  between  the 
two  colonies  in  regard  to  their  boundaries,  and  when 
war  again  broke  out  in  Europe,  this  old  jealousy  led 
to  a  renewal  of  hostilities.     The  chief  trouble  was 

a84 


THE  GREAT  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC, 


«8S 


about  the  line  dividing  their  possessions  in  Acadia 
and  in  the  valley  of  the  Ohio.  It  soon  became  clear 
that  this  war  was  to  be  the  most  serious  one  yet 
known  in  America.  Great  preparations  were  made 
on  both  sides.  But  the  French  had  their  hands  full 
in  Europe,  and  so  could  send  little  aid  to  their 
colony,  which  was  thus  obliged  to  struggle  on  alone, 
under  great  difficulties.  While  her  brave  soldiers 
fought  most  bravely  they  did  so  at  such  a  disadvan- 
tage and  against  such  overwhelming  numbers  that 
their  defeats  far  outnumbered  their  victories,  and 
fort  after  fort  slipped  out  of  their  hands. 

In  1756  General  Montcalm  arrived  in  Canada  as 
commander  of  the  French  forces.  He  was  a  brave 
and  tried  soldier,  uniting  vigorous  action  and  a 
thorough  military  training  with  a  cool  head  and  calm 
judgment.  He  soon  proved  himself  fully  capable  of 
managing  men  in  the  New  World,  and  by  his  energy 
and  skill  gained  several  victories  over  the  foe.  One 
of  the  best  traits  of  his  character  was  the  humanity 
which  led  him  on  several  occasions  to  interfere  to 
save  prisoners  from  cruel  torture.  Shortly  after  his 
arrival  in  Canada,  the  English  sent  out  a  large  force 
under  Wolfe  and  Amherst,  which  succeeded  in  cap- 
turing the  strong  fortress  of  Louisburg  in  Cape 
Breton.     This  was  in  1758. 

In  the  following  year  the  British  determined  to 
make  a  mighty  effort  to  get  possession  of  the  entire 
continent  of  America.  Cape  Breton,  Acadia  and 
the  Ohio  Valley  had  been  won.  They  would  next 
attack  the  three  remaining  strongholds  ;  the  forts 
at  Lake  Champlain,  the  fort  at  Niagara  and,  chief  of 
all,  Quebec.     Generals  Amherst  and  Johnson  were 


ii;*'  nfj 


;;  ■   h   y. 


286 


THE  GREAT  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC, 


1     ! 


i. 

1- 

1; 

1) 

^ 

1 

1 

t; 

j 

1 

11 

m 

chosen  to  proceed  against  the  first  two  points,  and 
General  Wolfe  was  appointed  to  the  almost  super- 
human task  of  storming  the  seemingly  impregnable 
rock  of  Quebec. 

Wolfe  was  very  young,  but  he  had  had  much  expe- 
rience in  the  field  and  with  men,  and  had  proved 
himselt  both  a  brave  officer  and  a  strong  disciplina- 
rian. He  was  weak  and  sickly  in  body,  with  none  of 
the  outward  aspect  of  the  British  lion.  But  he  had 
an  unconquerable  will.  He  would  allow  himself  to  be 
discouraged  by  no  misfortune,  and  was  ever  ready  to 
obey  the  voice  of  duty.  The  watchful  Pitt  had  care- 
fully noted  his  career,  and  did  not  hesitate  when  a 
daring  soldier  was  needed  for  this  most  difficult  of 
tasks,  to  give  him  the  command,  much  to  the  dis- 
appointment of  many  senior  officers.  He  was  not 
only  a  brave  soldier,  but  also  a  loving  son,  and  his 
letters  to  his  parents  show  the  utmost  filial  affection. 
And,  although  suffering  severely  from  disease,  he 
seems  in  all  of  them  to  be  only  thinking  how  he 
might  best  devote  his  fragile  body  to  his  country's 
good. 

Montcalm  was  to  command  at  Quebec.  He  was 
continually  thwarted  in  his  plans  by  Vaudreuil,  who 
was  constantly  jealous  of  him.  But,  fortunately  for 
the  French,  Vaudreuil  soon  recognized  in  Montcalm 
a  much  stronger  than  he,  and  gave  way  to  him 
in  military  affairs. 

France,  at  this  time,  did  not  own  a  cooler  head 

» 

and  braver  heart  than  Montcalm's.  England,  like- 
wise, had  not  a  truer  soldier  than  young  Wolfe. 
The  encounter  was  indeed  to  be  a  meeting  of  heroes, 
and  a  long  and  severe  struggle  was  expected.     The 


THE  GREAT  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


287 


English  were  hopeful,  but  the  French  laughed  at  the 
idea  of  their  being  able  to  take  the  rugged  rock 
from  which  they  had  so  easily  repulsed  Phips's  fleet, 
fifty  years  before. 

In  the  spring  of  1759,  the  news  reached  Quebec 
that  the  English  fleet  was  en  route  for  the  St.  Law- 
rence. At  first  the  inhabitants  were  terror-stricken, 
as  they  were  not  prepared  to  stand  a  long  siege,  but 
their  fears  were  dispersed  by  the  arrival  of  a  fleet  of 
eighteen  sail,  with  supplies  from  France. 

Montcalm  at  this  time  was  at  Montreal,  but 
hastened  to  Quebec  with  the  utmost  speed,  in  order 
to  prepare  it  for  a  successful  resistance.  All  the 
available  troops  were  hurried  into  the  city,  and  the 
excited  inhabitants  eagerly  watched  for  the  expected 
fleet.  Kept  back,  however,  by  several  delays,  it  did 
not  appear  for  some  weeks,  and  thus  gave  the 
French  time  to  make  ample  preparations.  They  re- 
solved to  concentrate  their  entire  force  on  the  river 
fronts  between  the  St.  Charles  and  the  Montmorency 
Rivers,  a  distance  of  eight  miles,  and  one  continuous 
line  of  redoubts,  batteries  and  entrenchments  was 
constructed.  Two  hulks  were  mounted  with  cannon 
and  placed  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Charles ;  and  a 
boom  of  logs  was  thrown  across  it  to  keep  the 
English  fleet  from  passing  up.  Every  available  en- 
trance to  the  city  was  closed  and  barricaded  save  one 
to  admit  the  troops  from  the  river  front.  A  hundred 
and  six  cannon  frowned  from  the  heights,  a  consid- 
erable floating  battery  with  guns,  fire-ships  and  fire- 
rafts,  protected  the  front  of  the  city.  The  entire 
number  of  men  under  arms  in  and  about  Quebec  was 
over  sixteen  thousand.     After  everything  was  ready 


288 


THE  GKEA  T  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


the  French  patiently  awaited  the  foe,  but  no  fo6 
appeared.  At  last  the  suspense  was  broken  by  the 
news  that  the  fleet  was  at  He  aux  Coudres.  Three 
midshipmen  belonging  to  it  who  were  captured  and 
brought  to  Quebec,  greatly  alarmed  the  French  by 
their  tales  of  the  tremendous  size  and  strength  of 
the  approaching  squadron. 

On  the  twenty-first  of  June  a  portion  of  Wolfe's 
fleet  arrived  in  the  north  channel  of  Orleans  Island. 
Several  vain  attempts  were  made  to  destroy  them 
with  fire-ships  and  fire-rafts.  Soon  all  the  vessels 
passed  the  difficult  navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
and  anchored  south  of  the  island.  That  same  night 
a  small  party  landed  and  had  a  brush  with  the  inhab- 
itants who,  being  defeated,  crossed  over  to  the  north 
shore.  The  next  day  was  a  busy  one  for  the  British 
soldiers.  Boats  loaded  with  troops  plied  busily 
between  the  ships  and  the  island  until  the  entire 
army  was  landed  and  drawn  up  on  the  beach.  Wolfe 
was  eager  to  begin  action  at  once,  and,  without  delay, 
began  to  look  about  him.  He  was  sometimes  ap- 
palled at  the  strength  and  vastness  of  the  prepara- 
tions made  to  meet  him.  He  had  little  more  than 
half  the  number  of  the  French  troops,  but  his  men 
were,  nearly  all,  tried  soldiers ;  and,  though  the  dif- 
ficulties were  great,  he  felt  that  with  such  soldiers 
he  must  succeed. 

On  the  day  when  the  British  troops  were  landed 
on  the  Island  of  Orleans,  a  furious  gale  arose  and 
lasted  for  some  hours.  The  French  thought  it  was 
an  interposition  of  Providence,  and  hoped  that  it 
would  destroy  the  entire  fleet.  But  it  was  only  a 
summer  gale,  and  soon  subsided.     While  it  lasted  it 


THE  GHEA  T  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


389 


no  f06 
by  the 
Three 
red  and 
nch  by 
ngth  of 

Wolfe's 
Island, 
jy  them 
vessels 
iwrence, 
le  night 
le  inhab- 
he  north 
e  British 
d    busily 
le  entire 
Wolfe 
lut  delay, 
jimes  ap- 
prepara- 
ore  than 
his  men 
the  dif- 
soldiers 

[e  landed 
Irose  and 
it  it  was 
that  it 
IS  only  a 
I  lasted  it 


drove  the  ships  hither  and  thither,  and  in  spite  of 
the  utmost  vigilance  some  were  driven  ashore  and 
others  collided,  causing  no  little  damage.  When 
the  storm  went  down,  the  French  determined  to  try 
the  effect  of  the  fire-ships  on  the  invaders.  These 
ships  were  the  largest  of  the  merchant-vessels  that  had 
brought  out  their  supplies,  and  had  been  equipped 
for  their  present  work  at  an  enormous  cost.  To 
make  their  deadly  work  almost  certain,  they  had 
been  filled  with  pitch,  tar,  and  other  inflammable 
material,  besides  having  on  board  firearms  and  can- 
non crammed  to  the  muzzle,  together  with  every 
other  conceivable  explosive. 

Vaudreuil  appointed  Deluche,  a  distinguished 
naval  officer,  to  the  hazardous  task  of  guiding  the 
fire-ships  to  the  fleet  of  the  foe,  and  firing  them  at 
the  right  time.  Fortunately  for  the  English,  De- 
luche's  courage  failed  him,  ana  ne  set  fire  to  his 
vessel  much  too  soon.  The  night  was  pitch-dark, 
but  the  sudden  blaze  dispersed  the  darkness.  The 
English,  fearing  an  attempt  on  their  encampment, 
drew  up  their  forces  in  readiness  to  resist,  and 
watched  the  approaching  vessel.  One  after  another 
leapt  into  flame,  and  soon  the  whole  river,  from  the 
Montmorency  to  the  city,  was  as  light  as  day.  The 
flames  soon  reached  the  explosives,  and  the  air  was 
filled  with  the  crash  of  loud  reports  and  the  whizz- 
ing of  shot  and  shell.  However,  Deluche  had  been 
so  hasty  in  his  work  that  no  harm  was  done  to  the 
British  vessels.  Some  of  the  fire-ships  ran  ashore 
before  reaching  them,  and  others  were  towed  out  of 
harm's  way  by  the  energetic  British  seamen  who 
rowed  out  and  grappled  them.     One  of  the  fire-ships 


I  ! 


I 


!1 
k 


1  ': 


390 


7W»  GREAT  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


blazed  so  rapidly  its  captain  and  a  number  of  the  crew 
were  burned  before  they  could  escape  in  their  boats. 

Vaudreuil  had  expected  much  from  this  enterprise, 
and  had  hopefully  climbed  into  the  church-steeple  of 
Beauport,  about  three  miles  from  Quebec,  to  see  the 
British  fleet  annihilated.  When  he  saw  how  useless 
the  whole  undertaking  had  been,  his  discouragement 
was  extreme. 

Wolfe  determined  to  begin  more  active  hostilities 
without  delay.  He  carefully  considered  every  avail- 
able point  of  attack,  and  concluded  that  his  best 
move  would  be  to  take  up  a  position  on  point  L^vis, 
directly  opposite  Quebec.  He  dispatched  General 
Monckton  thither  with  his  brigade  on  the  twenty- 
ninth  of  June,  and  on  the  next  day  went  over  him- 
self and  chose  the  most  commanding  point,  from 
which  his  cannon  might  play  upon  the  city.  As 
soon  as  his  intention  was  discovered  the  guns  of 
Quebec  poured  out  a  leaden  shower  upon  his  work- 
men. Many  were  killed,  but  the  work  of  entrench- 
ment was  vigorously  continued,  and  they  soon  had 
secured  a  very  strong  position.  An  attempt  was 
made  to  storm  their  entrenchments,  but  without 
success.  When  all  was  ready,  the  besiegers  turned 
their  guns  upon  the  city.  The  people  fled  to  the 
country  in  terror.  In  all  directions  bursting  shells 
set  fire  to  the  houses,  and  among  others,  their  re- 
vered cathedral  was  given  to  the  flames.  This  fire, 
however,  was  of  very  little  practical  value  to  the  Eng- 
lish. It  brought  them  no  nearer  to  the  capture  of  Que- 
bec, except  that  it  perhaps  discouraged  the  Canadians 
and  made  them  feel,  at  least,  that  a  more  formidable 
foe  than  Phips  was  before  their  walls. 


THE  GREAT  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


391 


Wolfe  became  impatient  at  seeing  nothing  accom- 
plished but  a  useless  destruction  of  property.  He 
determined  to  make  an  effort  to  attack  the  main 
body  along  the  St.  Lawrence.  It  was  impossible  to 
charge  them  successfully  from  the  river,  and  so  he 
took  up  his  position  to  the  left  of  their  forces  on 
the  banks  of  the  brown  and  rapid  Montmorency.  As 
soon  as  he  felt  himself  strongly  posted,  he  began  to 
harass  the  foe,  who  quickly  returned  his  fire,  a  great 
deal  of  damage  being  done  on  both  sides.  His  bat- 
tery at  L^vis  still  kept  up  its  disastrous  cannonade 
on  the  Lower  town,  which  was  soon  almost  dese^-ted 
by  its  terrified  inhabitants.  The  effect  of  this  de- 
termined siege  was  already  beginning  to  tell.  Many 
of  the  Canadians  deserted  to  the  British  ranks,  re- 
porting that  only  dread  of  their  officers  kept  their 
countrymen  from  coming  over  in  a  body  to  the 
British  lines. 

Near  the  end  of  July  a  British  ship,  with  several 
smaller  vessels,  succeeded  in  passing  the  fortress  of 
Quebec  and  taking  their  station  above  the  city  where 
they  captured  several  French  vessels.  This  was  un- 
fortunate for  the  French,  for  they  had  now  not  only 
to  defend  Quebec  and  the  St.  Lawrence,  but  also  to 
take  a  large  portion  of  their  troops  to  defend  the 
passes  above  the  city.  The  English  followed  up 
this  success  by  dragging  boats  across  Point  Ldvis,  and, 
launching  them  at  a  point  out  of  range  of  the 
enemy's  guns,  filled  them  with  men  to  join  troops 
gone  before  them.  These  at  once  began  operations, 
so  that  the  French  were  now  attacked  from  three 
points ;  Montmorency,  L^vis  and  the  rocky  plateau 
above  Quebec.     Montcalm,  though   vigilant,  smiled 


292 


THE  GREAT  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC, 


I-fi 


^1 


.,  '■'•' 


at  their  efforts.  He  knew  his  own  strength,  and 
thought  that  all  would  be  well  if  he  could  only  keep 
his  men  from  discouragement.  However,  he  wisely 
determined  to  remain  on  the  defensive.  Vaudreuil 
however  was  much  more  despondent,  and  observed 
with  great  alarm  the  successes  of  the  enemy's  fleet. 
His  fire-ships  had  been  a  failure,  but  he  determined 
to  make  o.ie  more  mighty  effort  to  destroy  their 
vessels.  He  had  some  seventy  rafts,  boats  and 
schooners  joined  together  and  loaded,  like  the  fire- 
ships,  with  guns  of  all  sorts,  crammed  to  the  muzzles 
with  grenades,  bombs,  and  other  explosive  weapons. 
This  "  gigantic  infernal  machine "  was  carefully 
directed  and  seemed  as  if  it  would  utterly  destroy 
the  fleet.  But  British  courage  was.  too  much  for 
French  ingenuity,  and  the  hardy  sailors  gallantly 
manned  their  boats,  and  grappling  the  blazing  raft, 
towed  it  ashore,  with  bursting  cannon  and  showers 
of  bullets  falling  about  them.  Shout  upon  shout 
went  up  from  their  lusty  throats,  as  one  piece  of  the 
raft  after  another  struck  ground  and  blazed  itself 
out.  The  French  turned  away  in  disgust.  It  was 
of  no  use  to  try  to  intimidate  such  men.  The  only 
thing  they  could  do  was  to  keep  them  outside  of  the 
city,  and  this  at  least  seemed  easy  enough. 

Summer  was  rapidly  drawing  to  a  close,  and  Wolfe, 
seeing  that  if  something  were  not  soon  done  the 
year  would  be  lost,  decided  to  make  a  strong  attack 
on  Montcalm's  river  force.  He  directed  a  large  por- 
tion of  his  men  against  the  enemy's  entrenchments, 
and  on  the  last  day  of  July  a  fierce  battle  was  fought. 
The  battery  at  L^vis  poured  its  leaden  hail  into  the 
city,  the  ships  along  the  shore  cast  shot  and  shell 


THE  GREA  T  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


293 


I,  and 
1  keep 
wisely 
idreuil 
served 
5  fleet, 
'mined 
(T  their 
:s    and 
le  fire- 
nuzzles 
eapons. 
irefully 
destroy 
uch  for 
allantly 
ng  raft, 
showers 
1  shout 
i  of  the 
itself 
It  was 
e  only 
of  the 

Wolfe, 
)ne  the 
attack 
rge  por- 
iments, 
fought. 
Into  the 
id  shell 


into  the  French  camp,  while  the  cannon  on  the  left 
of  the  Montmorency  drowned  the  roar  of  the  Falls 
with  their  thunder.  The  French  were  not  idle,  and 
their  guns  replied  with  equal  strength.  An  attempt 
was  made  to  land  in  front  and  charge  the  foe,  but  it 
was  quickly  repulsed  with  severe  loss.  Wolfe  saw 
how  impracticable  it  was  to  attempt  the  capture  of 
Quebec  from  that  side,  and,  withdrawing  his  troops, 
thought  out  another  plan.  The  French  were  de- 
lighted with  the  punishment  they  had  given  the  foe, 
and  Vaudreuil  exultingly  wrote  to  a  friend,  "  Mon- 
sieur Wolfe,  I  can  assure  you,  will  make  no  progress." 
He  reckoned  without  his  host,  as  we  shall  quickly 
see. 

Wolfe,  from  the  commencement  of  the  siege,  had 
longed  to  meet  the  French  in  the  open  field ;  but 
this  repulse  made  the  chance  seem  more  remote 
than  ever.  Montcalm  knew  that  his  raw  militia 
were  much  more  serviceable  behind  entrenchments 
than  they  could  be  in  a  fair  hand-to-hand  engage- 
ment, and  so  would  run  no  risks.  Wolfe,  on  his 
first  arrival  in  the  country,  had  anxiously  looked  to 
the  heights  above  Quebec,  and  now  he  once  more 
turned  to  the  hope  of  getting  up  on  the  broad  plains. 
His  first  task  was  to  look  for  a  practicable  ascent. 

In  the  meantime  he  gave  orders  to  ravage  the  sur- 
rounding country,  and  his  men  did  their  work  only 
too  well.  Many  villages  and  farmhouses  were  laid 
in  ruins,  and  not  a  few  of  their  resisting  inhabitants 
put  to  the  sword.  The  British  soldiers  had  caught 
so  much  of  the  revengeful  spirit  of  their  foes,  that 
they  scalped  many  of  the  fallen  !  No  strong  resist- 
ance was  made  to  these  depredations,  the  French 


v\ 


294 


T/TE  GREAT  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


i    ! 


ii,n 


feeling  that  every  man  was  needed  to  protect  the 
city  itself.  Wolfe  began  to  despair.  He  even 
thought  of  giving  up  the  siege  for  that  year,  and 
going  into  winter  quarters  on  He  aux  Coudres,  inter- 
cepting as  far  as  possible  the  supplies  of  the  French, 
and  forcing  them  to  surrender  in  the  following 
spring.  But,  before  doing  this,  he  determined  to 
make  one  more  strong  effort. 

As  rapidly  as  he  could  he  brought  a  large  portion 
of  his  fleet  past  Quebec.  No  delay  was  permitted. 
Attack  after  attack  was  made  on  the  heights,  and  so 
effective  were  some  of  them  that  De  Bougainville 
was  sent  with  fifteen  hundred  soldiers  to  keep  them 
from  gaining  the  summit.  One  attack  was  so  vigor- 
ous that  Montcalm  felt  it  necessary  to  take  com- 
mand in  person,  but  the  wary  English  had  retreated 
before  he  could  reach  the  scene  of  action.  All  was 
not  running  smoothly  with  the  English,  however. 
Disease  broke  out  in  their  camps,  and  many  able 
men  were  unfit  for  service.  But  the  French  suffered 
far  more  in  every  way.  Disease  was  rife,  food  was 
scarce  and  supplies  were  now  almost  entirely  cut  off 
from  the  upper  country.  Their  city  was  in  ruins, 
and  even  should  the  English  fail  in  capturing  it  that 
year,  a  fearful  winter  stared  them  in  the  face. 

On  the  twentieth  of  August  great  sorrow  spread 
through  the  British  troops,  Wolfe,  who  had  ex- 
hausted himself  by  ceaseless  toil  and  thought,  and 
who  was  to  be  seen  everywhere  strengtheimig  the 
weak  and  encouraging  the  strong  by  his  hopeful 
spirit,  was  seized  with  illnesr  so  severe  that  he  was 
confined  to  his  bed,  and  lay  restlessly  tossing  with 
fever  in  a  farmhouse  at   Montmorency.     He,  how- 


THE   GREA  T  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC, 


295 


ever,  recovered,  to  the  great  joy  of  his  men,  about 
the  end  of  the  month  ;  so  far,  at  least,  as  to  be  able 
to  devise  another  plan  of  attack.  He  proposed  three 
plans  to  his  brigadiers,  Monckton,  Townsend  and 
Murray.  One  of  these  was  to  cross  the  Montmo- 
rency about  eight  miles  from  the  St.  Lawrence,  and, 
with  a  large  force,  to  march  rapidly  through  the  for- 
est and  fall  on  the  rear  of  the  French,  while  a  con- 
tingent stormed  them  from  the  river.  The  second 
was  to  ford  the  Montmorency  at  its  mouth,  and  to 
march  along  the  shore  until  a  point  could  be  found 
where  they  could  charge  them  out  of  their  strong- 
holds. The  third  was  to  make  a  concentrated  attack 
from  the  front. 

But  the  brigadiers  wisely  advised  him  to  abandon 
all  three;  and,  after  long  consultation,  suggested 
that  the  next  attempt  should  be  to  scale  the  Heights 
above  Quebec.  Wolfe  had  from  the  first  looked  to 
this  quarter  for  victory,  and  gladly  acted  on  their 
suggestion. 

On  the  last  day  of  August,  Wolfe  was  able  to  leave 
the  house  for  the  first  time  since  his  illness,  and  his 
presence  greatly  raised  the  spirits  of  the  army.  He 
had  not  much  hope  of  success,  but  he  was  determined 
that  they  should  not  have  it  to  say  in  England  that 
he  had  not  done  his  duty.  His  first  task  was  to 
concentrate  his  forces  along  the  upper  bank  of  the 
river.  He  sent  up  to  join  Admiral  Holmes  all  the 
ships  he  could  spare  from  his  fleet  below  Quebec. 
Seeing  that  his  men  at  Montmorency  were  of  no 
practical  use,  he  at  once  decided  on  evacuating  his 
position  there.  Montcalm,  observing  the  move, 
sent  a  force  to  harass  the  retreating  British  troops. 


296 


THE  GREAT  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


i<f 


11: 


&■!!   :  i    \ 


But  Monckton,  who  had  been  viewing  the  operation 
from  Point  L^vis,  dispatched  a  considerable  force  to 
attack  Montcalm  in  front,  compelling  him  to  recall 
his  men ;  and  the  English  were  thus  enabled  to  re- 
tire without  loss.  The  French  scarcely  knew  what 
to  make  of  the  move,  and  began  to  hope  that  their 
foes  were  about  to  raise  the  siege  and  depart.  Their 
hopes  were  greatly  strengthened  by  seeing  the  troops 
hurried  on  board  the  fleet  above  Quebec.  They  did 
not  however  relax  in  their  vigilant  watch  by  night 
and  day. 

This  work  had  been  too  much  for  the  heroic  Wolfe, 
and  on  the  fourth  of  September  he  was  again  seized 
with  illness,  causing  severe  suffering.  This  unfor- 
tunate event  affected  every  man  in  the  army.  Wolfe, 
however,  had  a  will  capable  of  crushing  down  pain, 
and  overcoming  bodily  w-^akness  ;  and  on  the  follow- 
ing day  was  once  more  among  his  men,  haggard  and 
worn  indeed,  but  as  energetic  as  ever.  He  at  once 
began  to  look  for  a  scaling  place.  Every  cove,  bay 
and  rock  was  eagerly  scanned  with  the  telescope, 
and  he  at  length  fixed  upon  a  place  where  he  thought 
it  possible  to  scramble  up.  It  was  evidently  a  weak 
spot  in  the  cliff,  for  the  white  tent  of  a  guard  could 
be  seen  gleaming  in  the  September  sunshine.  This 
was  the  Anse  dii  Foulon^  perhaps  the  weakest  point 
p'^y where  about  Quebec.  Even  here  it  was  by  no 
means  an  easy  task  to  scale  the  cliff  ;  and,  as  Mont- 
calm had  told  Vaudreuil,  a  hundred  vigilant  men 
could  have  kept  a  whole  army  at  bay.  They  expected 
that  Wolfe  would  not  leave  without  trying  this  point. 
A  strong  guard  therefore  was  posted  for  its  pro- 
tection, under  command  of  Captain  de  Vergor  of  the 


THE  GREAT  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


297 


weak 
could 
This 
point 
by  no 
Mont- 
t  men 
pected 
point. 
:s  pro- 
of the 


colony  troops.  This  was  the  same  person  of  whom 
we  have  previously  heard  in  the  affair  with  the 
Acadians,  as  having  so  ingloriously  surrendered  Fort 
Beau  Sijottr  to  the  English.  Besides  the  guard,  the 
battalion  of  Guienne  was  within  hailing  distance, 
and  the  batteries  on  the  headland  of  Samos,  and  on 
the  heights  of  Sillery,  could  work  havoc  on  any  ap- 
proaching boats. 

De  Bougainville  was  stationed  at  Cap  Rouge,  nine 
miles  above  Quebec,  with  a  large  force,  and  it  was 
decided  to  begin  final  operations  by  attacking  and 
harassing  his  position. 

On  the  seventh  of  September  Admiral  Holmes 
sailed  up  to  Cap  Rouge,  and  began  firing  on  Bougain- 
ville's force  ;  at  the  same  time  sending  off  troops  in 
boats  to  feign  a  landing.  This  was  but  a  ruse  of 
Wolte's,  to  keep  the  enemy  from  suspecting  his  in- 
tention of  attempting  to  scale  the  cliff  at  the  Anse 
du  Foulon.  Holmes  kept  up  his  attack  for  several 
days,  allowing  his  fleet  to  drift  up  and  down  with  the 
tide.  De  Bougainville  was  constantly  on  the  watch, 
and  wore  out  his  troops  by  marching  them  up  and 
down,  to  prevent  the  British  from  landing.  A  storm 
came  up  just  then  and  seriously  interfered  with  the 
designs  of  the  besiegers.  The  troops  on  the  boats 
were  so  drenched  with  rain  that  they  were  compelled 
to  land  on  the  south  shore,  to  dry  their  clothes  and 
rest. 

This  unsatisfactory  mode  of  fighting  was  soon  to 
end.  On  the  twelfth  of  the  month,  Wolfe  issued  his 
last  general  orders.  He  felt  that  at  length  the  time 
had  come  to  strike,  and  the  sooner  a  battle  was 
fought    the    better.     Deserters    from    the    French 


Is  J 


f:l 


298 


r//£  GKEA  T  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


rl 

w 


\ 


w 


brought  him  most  encouraging  tidings.  The  food  in 
the  city  was  almost  exhausted,  and  there  was  but 
little  chance  of  getting  more  at  present.  The  French 
generals,  too,  were  greatly  disheartened  by  the 
necessity  of  dividing  their  forces  to  protect,  not  only 
the  city,  but  the  shores  above  and  below.  Wolfe 
was  confident  of  success,  and  his  hopeful  spirit  in- 
spired both  officers  and  men.  They  were  ready  to 
follow  him  anywhere,  and  knew  that  if  they  could 
but  once  meet  the  enemy  in  battle  the  siege  would 
be  as  good  as  finished.  He  had  but  eight  thousand 
four  hundred  men  that  he  could  land,  and  the  enemy, 
even  in  its  reduced  condition,  numbered  double  as 
many. 

The  first  task  was  to  choose  an  advance  party,  to 
undertake  the  hazardous  feat  of  scaling  the  cliff  and 
surprising  the  guard,  so  as  to  clear  the  way  for  the 
troops.  Among  such  men  it  was  not  difficult  to  find 
twenty-four  volunteers  ready  to  face  even  death ; 
and  Wolfe  had  soon  mustered  a  party  of  men  as 
brave  as  ever  led  a  forlorn  hope.  Seventeen  hun- 
dred men  were  to  go  ashore  with  the  scaling  party, 
to  be  ready  to  follow  them  to  the  Heights  in  case  of 
success.  De  Bougainville  anxiously  watched  the  fleet 
as  the  many  bateaux  and  boats  left  it,  laden  with 
men.  He  thought  he  was  to  be  attacked  and  re- 
mained on  the  defensive.  As  the  tide  was  flowing 
in  just  then,  Wolfe  allowed  the  boats  to  float  up 
-iream,  completely  deceiving  him,  as  he  supposed  it 
was  to  be  an  attack  like  those  from  which  he  had 
already  suffered. 

On  the  same  day  French  deserters  brought  in  the 
welcome  news  that  during  the  night  supplies  were 


THE  GREAT  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


299 


to  pass  down  to  Montcalm's  camp  under  cover  of 
the  darkness.  Wolfe  at  once  thought  that  his  boats 
might  seize  the  opportunity  of  going  down  in  ad- 
vance of  them,  deceive  the  sentinels  along  the  river, 
and  gain  the  Anse  du  Foulon  without  opposition.  He 
had  some  fear  that  Montcalm  might  suspect  his  in- 
tention, and  so  might  be  in  force  on  the  Plains  to 
oppose  his  landing.  To  avoid  this,  Admiral  Saund- 
ers, who  was  in  command  of  the  fleet  in  the  Basin  of 
Quebec,  was  to  storm  Montcalm's  position,  while  he 
led  the  attack  above  the  city.  At  nightfall,  Saund- 
ers began  a  fierce  fire  on  the  entrenchments  and 
sent  off  boats  loaded  with  men  to  pretend  a  landing. 
Montcalm  was  completely  deceived,  and  as  the  bat- 
tle grew  hot  and  vigorous,  he  called  his  troops 
together  to  resist  what  he  supposed  to  be  a  concen- 
trated attack. 

While  Saunders  was  doing  such  effective  work  on 
Montcalm's  entrenchments,  Wolfe  was  patiently 
awaiting  the  ebb  of  the  tide  to  aid  his  men.  At 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  two  lanterns  were  raised 
into  the  main-top  of  his  vessel.  This  was  the  signal 
for  work,  and  the  boats  at  once  began  to  float  toward 
their  destination,  favored  by  a  light  wind.  Wolfe 
was  in  one  of  the  foremost  boats,  and  while  he  was 
being  rowed  ashore  he  recited  the  celebrated  poem  — 
Gray's  "  Elegy  in  a  Country  Churchyard  "  —  saying, 
as  he  finished,  "  Gentlemen,  I  would  rather  have 
written  those  lines  than  take  Quebec ! " 

As  they  neared  the  shore  a  French  sentinel  seeing 
the  boats  cried  out  "  Qui  vive  !  '.'  "  France  !  "  was 
the  reply  of  a  Highland  officer  familiar  with  the 
French   language.      After  a  few  words   more  the 


300 


THE  GREA  T  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


i     •>^: 


<> 


■  ■  i. 


troops  passed  on  unmolested,  the  sentinel  believing 
them  to  be  part  of  a  French  regiment  on  the  way 
from  De  Bougainville's  camp  to  join  Montcalm. 
They  were  again  challenged  at  the  headland  of 
Samos,  but  this,  too,  they  passed  in  safety,  by  reply- 
ing to  the  sentinel,  "  Provision  boats  !  Don't  make 
a  noise  ;  the  English  will  hear  us  !  "  In  a  few  min- 
utes after  passing  this  point  they  landed  at  the  Ause 
du  FouloUy  and  quickly  disembarked.  The  volunteers 
at  once  began  scaling  the  wooded  heights,  scram- 
bling up  among  the  rough  bushes  that  then,  as  now, 
clustered  thickly  on  the  steep  bank.  De  Verger 
was  not  on  his  guard,  but  had  gone  to  bed.  He 
relied  too  much  on  the  difficulties  of  the  ascent. 
The  foe  were  upon  him  before  he  could  dress.  He 
endeavored  to  escape,  but  was  shot  in  the  heel  and 
captured.  The  guard  was  soon  overpowered,  and  the 
troops  below  came  scrambling  up  after  their  victori- 
ous comrades.  Before  the  last  of  the  boats  had 
landed,  the  battery  at  Samos  became  aware  of  the 
real  character  of  the  force,  and  began  to  fire  upon  it. 
A  party  was  detailed  to  silence  this  battery  —  a  task 
that  was  quickly  performed.  Scarcely  had  these 
guns  ceased  when  the  sullen  roar  from  Sillery  told 
them  that  the  battery  there  was  on  the  alert.  This 
battery,  too,  was  soon  captured,  leaving  the  river 
front  entirely  unprotected.  Quickly  the  fleet  of 
boats  sped  between  the  ships  and  the  shore,  until 
all  the  needed  troops  were  landed.  At  daybreak  the 
heights  were  held,  not  only  by  this  large  force,  but 
also  by  several  cannon  that  had  been  dragged  up  the 
difficult  heights.  Wolfe  at  once  looked  about  him 
for  a  battle-ground,  and  soon  decided  on  drawing  up 


THE  GKEA  T  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


301 


his  troops  on  the  rough  plateau  known  as  the  "  Plains 
of  Abraham."  He  now  had  what  he  had  anxiously 
longed  for — the  prospect  of  an  immediate  meeting 
with  the  foe ;  yet  victory  was  not  certain,  and  a  de- 
feat would  have  been  a  horrible  disaster  in  his  pres- 
ent position.  Retreat  was  impossible,  and  the  force 
in  Quebec,  although  composed  of  inferior  soldiers, 
vastly  outnumb'^red  his  men.  However,  he  hope- 
fully awaited  the  coming  of  the  enemy.  He  did  not 
expect  to  survive  this  battle.  He  had  even  told  one 
of  his  officers  that  he  knew  that  in  it  he  should  meet 
his  death  ;  but  he  felt  sure  that  his  brave  soldiers 
would  win  the  day.  He  would  not  shirk  any  danger, 
but  with  Murray  and  Monckton  took  command  of  the 
center,  where  he  expected  the  heaviest  fighting. 

Meantime,  in  the  early  September  morning,  Mont- 
calm, in  his  tent,  was  roused  by  the  startling  news 
of  this  unforeseen  landing  effected  by  his  gallant  an- 
tagonist. He  rushed  at  once  to  the  city,  followed 
by  a  motley  crowd  of  soldiers  and  citizens.  With 
break-neck  speed  he  galloped  on  to  the  scene  of 
action,  and  to  his  amazement  found  the  rough 
plateau  of  the  "  Plains  "  occupied  by  a  strong  force 
of  the  enemy.  For  the  first  time  since  the  com- 
mencement of  the  siege  he  seems  to  have  lost  his 
head  and  acted  rashly,  and  to  have  begun  the  en- 
gagement with  undue  precipitation.  He  hoped  that 
Vaudreuil  would  join  him  with  a  strong  force,  but  in 
this  he  was  disappointed.  He  would  not  wait.  His 
men  were  eager  for  action,  and  with  them  he  went  at 
once  to  meet  the  foe.  His  thrilling  voice  urged  on 
his  excited  troops  to  the  charge  for  the  honor  of 
France,  and  on  his  spirited  black  steed  he  galloped 


f 


309 


THE  GREA  T  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


\%\ 


from  point  to  point,  brandishing  his  sword  and  urg- 
ing his  men  to  their  arduous  and  perilous  task. 

The  English  troops  waited  steadily  the  charge  of 
the  foe,  holding  their  ground  with  admirable  steadi- 
ness, notwithstanding  the  harassing  fire  of  skirmish- 
ing parties.  Wolfe  went  from  company  to  company, 
cheering  his  men  by  word  and  deed.  At  ten  in  the 
morning  he  saw  that  the  moment  had  come  for  the 
decisive  blow. 

The  French  assembled  on  a  ridge  in  front  of  him, 
and  collected  their  strength  for  the  final  charge.  In 
a  few  moments  the  whole  force  was  in  motion,  Mont- 
calm, on  his  black  charger,  leading  the  way.  Volley 
after  volley  poured  from  the  ranks,  as  rushed  on  the 
steady  phalanx  of  the  foe.  Not  an  Englishman 
moved  from  his  post,  save  where  one  fell  and  a  com- 
rade took  the  vacant  place.  When  the  enemy  was 
within  forty  paces,  the  command  "  Fire  !  "  rang  out, 
and  as  one  man  the  whole  body  poured  a  leaden  hail 
into  the  advancing  ranks.  A  second  almost  instantly 
followed  which  made  the  French  troops  pause  and 
waver  in  their  advance.  A  third  volley  changed  the 
advance  into  a  retreat.  The  British  troops  were 
then  ordered  to  "  charge  !  "  and  with  a  true  British 
cheer  they  drove  the  scattered  enemy  in  full  flight 
towards  Quebec. 

Montcalm  received  a  shot  through  the  body,  in 
the  retreat,  but  succeeded  in  getting  into  the  city. 
Wolfe  had  been  three  times  wounded.  The  last  time 
a  charge  lodged  in  his  breast,  and  he  fell,  to  rise  no 
more.  He  was  carried  to  the  rear,  where,  in  reply 
to  his  eager  •'  Who  runs } "  the  glad  news  reached 
his  dying  ears,  "The   French!"     A   happy   smile 


THE  GREA  T  SIEGE   OF  QUEBEC. 


303 


passed  over  his  face.  But  even  at  that  moment  his 
own  duty  wa"  not  forgotten.  "  Go,  one  of  you,  to 
Colonel  Burton,"  he  said,  "and  tell  him  to  march 
Webb's  regiment  down  to  Charles  River,  to  cut  off 
their  retreat  from  the  bridge ! "  Then,  as  he  felt 
that  his  work  was  done,  and  done  well,  he  turned  on 
his  side,  with  the  words,  "  Now,  God  be  praised,  I 
die  in  peace  ! "  And  the  true  hero  breathed  his  last 
—  his  death  forever  consecrating  to  the  hearts  of 
Canadians  the  little  spot  of  rough  greensward  which 
is  still  marked  by  a  stone  column,  bearing  the  brief 
inscription :  **  Here  Wolfe  Died  Victorious, 
Sep.  13,  1759." 

His  brave  antagonist  did  not  survive  his  defeat. 
He  died  in  a  house  in  Quebec  which  is  still  asso- 
ciated with  his  gallant  memory.  Although  the  next 
year  an  unsuccessful  attempt  was  made  to  re-capture 
Quebec,  this  battle  virtually  ended  the  long  contest 
for  the  possession  of  the  North  American  continent. 
It  had  lasted  more  than  two  hundred  years,  and  the 
French  had  gallantly  struggled  with  enemies  and 
obstacles  of  all  kinds,  and  had  displayed  a  heroism 
and  stanch  endurance  that  deserved  a  better  fate. 
Had  the  gallantry  of  the  French  colonists  received 
any  adequate  support  from  the  mother-land.  New 
France  would  not  so  easily  have  been  lost  to  the 
country  to  which  she  owed  her  existence.  But, 
although  the  footprints  of  her  French  founders  will 
never  be  and  ought  never  to  be  erased  from  the  soil 
of  the  land  baptized  with  their  blood,  it  was  destined 
that  Anglo-Saxon  and  not  French  influence  should 
guide  the  development  of  the  New  World.  Yet, 
in  looking  back  over  the  two  and  a  half  centuries  of 


304 


THE  GREA  T  SIEGE  OF  QUEBEC. 


•i* 


toil  and  heroism  and  brave  endurance,  of  which  we 
have  had  a  few  passing  glimpses,  no  true  Canadian, 
be  his  origin  French  or  British,  can  refuse  a  tribute 
of  sympathy  and  honor  to  the  losers  as  well  as  to 
the  victors  in  the  gallantly  contested  struggle.  This 
generous  sympathy  finds  a  fitting  expression  in  the 
monument  under  the  shadow  of  the  citadel  of  Quebec, 
which  commemorates  at  once  the  memory  of  the 
two  brave  foes  —  the  victor  and  the  vanquished  —  the 
heroic  Wolfe  and  the  gallant  Montcalm. 


INDEX. 


AbenaquU,  138,  aa6,  asS,  349. 

Abraham,  Plains  of,  301 ;  battle  on,  30a. 

Acadia,  s>*  S3i  >'^«  visited  by  Norsemen  364;  repeatedly  plundered,  367;  ceded  to 

England,  384. 
Acadians  reluctant  to  take  oath  of  allegiance,  368 ;  harass  settlers,  369 ;  sufferings, 

370;  exile  of,  376;  sentence,  378;  departed,  380;  country  desolated,  a8a,  after 

sufferings,  383. 
Algonquins,  51,  83,  85,  88,  103,  105,  108,  131,  136,  138,  151,  i5S>  aai. 
Allumette  Island,  124. 
Amherst  captures  Louisbourg,  385. 
Annapolis  Basin,  60,  365. 
Annapolis,  capital  of  Nova  Scotia,  368. 
Annahotaha  Etienne,  hears  of  Daulac's  expedition,  169;  his  character,  169-170;  his 

wiles,  170;  joins  Daulac,  173  ;  faithful  tn  French,  176. 
Anticosti,  Isle  of,  15,  16,  17,  363. 

Alkali  takes  French  ship,  76 ;  destroys  French  settlements,  77 ;  references  to,  91, 365. 
Aubert  of  Dieppe,  8. 
Aubry,  Nicholas,  54. 


Baccalaos,  10,  3a,  33. 

Bacchus,  Isle  of,  16. 

Basques,  10,  43,  80,  8a. 

Bartholomew,  St.,  43. 

Beau  Bassin,  373. 

Beauport,  390. 

Beaupr^,  Vicomte  de,  30. 

Beau  Sejour,  English  and  French  opposed  at,  373 ;  surrendered  to  English,  37s, 

376,  377. 
Belle  Isle,  Straits  of,  13, 16,  33,  50. 
Biard,  P6re,  69-74,  loi. 
Biencourt,  son  of  De  Monts,  70,  73,  73,  75. 
Birds,  Isle  of,  13.  , 

Blo:nidon  Cape,  a83. 
Boisnebert,  383. 
Bonavista,  la. 

Bougainville,  De,  194 ;  defense  of  Cap  Rouge,  397,  398. 
Bourbon,  Henri  de,  90. 
Bourgeoys,  M'lle  de,  161. 
Br^beuf,  arrival  and  first  visit  to  Huron  country,  101 ;  returns  from  France,  107 ; 

second  attempt  to  go  to  Hurons,  108 ;  missionary  labors  and  death,  iaa-143. 


■1 


3o6 


INDEX. 


Breton,  Cape,  13. 

Bretons,  10,  11,  15,  16,  43. 

British  determine  to  conquer  the  continent,  285;  their  plans,  385;  victorious  at 

Quebec,  303. 
Brittany,  46,  49,  135. 
Brule  Ettienne,  135. 
Brulart,  Noel  de  Sillery,  146. 
Buisset  Luc,  195. 
Burton,  Colonel,  303. 


;■**? 


n 


hi. 


\\.  m 


I 


Cabot,  John,  8. 

Cabot,  Sebastian,  9. 

Caen,  Admiral,  99,  loi. 

Cahiagu^,  94. 

Calli^res,  M.  de,  Governor  of  Montreal,  323,  349,  355. 

Callifere,  Point,  149. 

Canard  River,  278. 

Cap  Rouge,  29,  30,  39,  47. 

Caron,  Le,  93,  94,  95. 

Carpunt,  33, 

Cartier,  Jacques,  left  St.  Malo,  t3 ;  landed  and  set  up  cross  at  Gaspe,  14 ;  second 
voyage,  15,  enters  St.  Lawrence,  16;  reaches  Quebec,  18;  visits  Hochelaga, 
31-34  ;  returns  to  France,  37 ;  third  voyage,  29  j  final  return  to  France,  30,  31. 

Casco  Bay,  338. 

Cataraqui,  187,  190, 193. 

Cayugas,  158,  336. 

Cenis,  311. 

Chabanel,  122. 

Champlain,  Samuel  de,  first  voyage  to  Canada,  50 ;  second  voyage  with  De  Monts 
and  second  ascent  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  80 ;  founds  Quebec,  81 ;  suppresses  mu- 
tiny, 82  ;  first  winter  at  Quebec,  83  ;  joins  Indian  war-party  and  ascends  Riche- 
lieu, 85 ;  discovers  Lake  Champlain  and  has  first  brush  with  Iroquois,  87 ;  second 
battle  with  Iroquois,  88 ;  selects  site  of  Montreal,  90 ;  explores  the  Ottawa,  91 ; 
second  exploring  tour,  93  ;  discovers  Lake  Huron,  93  ;  attacks  Seneca  town,  94 ; 
brings  wife  to  Canada,  96 ;  surrenders  Quebec  to  Kirke,  98 ;  resumed  command 
at  Quebec,  and  death,  99 ;  references  to,  264,  365. 

Champlain,  Lake,  86,  133. 

Charlebourg  Royal,  30. 

Charles  the  Second,  267. 

Chastes,  M.  de,  48,  49,  5a 

Chateau  St.  Louis,  251. 

Chatelain,  122,  126. 

Chaudi^re,  93. 

Chaumonot,  132,  130. 

Chauvin,  48;  Halifax  founded  on,  369. 

Chebucto  Bay,  369. 

Chignecto,  Acadians  resist  English  at,  371. 

Clark,  Thaddeus,  340. 

Colbert,  193,  194. 

Coligny,  43. 


h'i  tl 


INDEX. 


307 


nctorlous  at 


Column  set  up  by  La  Salle  on  Gulf  of  Mexico,  307. 

Columbus,  Christopher,  8. 

Coati,  Fort,  198. 

Cornwallis,  Ed.,  Governor,  founds  Halifax,  269. 

Coudouagny,  20. 

Coudres,  He  aux,  16,  17,  388,  394. 

Coulonge,  Lake,  92. 

Courcelles,  De,  186,  187,  227. 

Coureurs  des  Bois,  229. 

Courtemanche,  commander  of  War  Party,  338. 

Cousin,  8. 

Couture,  131,  133. 

Crivecoeur,  Fort,  301,  304. 

Cromwell,  sends  fleet  to  Nova  Scotia,  367. 


pe,  14 ;  second 
its  Hochelaga, 
ranee,  30,  31. 


ath  De  Monts 
iuppresses  mu- 

lascends  Riche- 
)is,87;  second 
le  Ottawa,  91 ; 

|neca  town,  94 ; 
imed  command 


D'Aillebout,  153,  159. 

Daniel,  Pire,  107,  122,  126,  140. 

Daulac,  Adam,  sieur  des  Ormeaux,  17;  takes  his  last  sacrament,  167;  arduous  pas- 
sage up  the  Ottawa,  168;  at  Long  Saut,  169;  refuses  to  surrender,  173  ;  suffer- 
ings of  his  men,  175 ;  slain,  180. 

Dauversiere,  G.,  145,  160. 

Davis,  Captain,  commander  of  Fort  Loyal,  240. 

Davost,  107, 108,  122-124. 

De  Beauieu,  2 10. 

De  La  Barre,  308,  337. 

De  La  Roche,  43. 

Deluche,  Commander  of  fire-ships,  289. 

Demons,  Isle  of,  34. 

De  Monts,  53,  54,  55,  59, 60,  61,  62,  63,  68 ;  founds  Port  Royal,  63,  67,  80,  90,  264. 

Denonville,  227. 

Du  Quesne,  Governor  of  Canada. 

Eries,  160,  226. 

Erie  Lake,  130. 

Eliot,  John,  138. 

Evangeline,  Longfellow's,  276. 


Fire-raft,  292. 

Fire-ships,  unsuccessful  attempt  to  destroy  British  fleet  with,  289. 

Florida,  9,  28,  43>  283. 

Fontaine,  Madame,  215. 

Fort  Loyal  attacked  by  war  party,  239-242  ;  surrendered  to  French,  343 ;  massacre, 

343. 
Fort  Louis,  bnilt  by  La  Tour,  ?66. 
Foulon  Anse  de,  chosen  by  Wolfe  as  landing  place,  396. 
Francis  the  First,  9,  13, 33,  40,  43. 
Franciscans,  too. 
French  River,  93. 
Freydis,  7. 


wmmm' 


308 


INDEX. 


Frontenac,  Count  de,  184,  187;  in  illicit  fur  trade,  337;  returns  to  Canada  as  Gov- 
ernor, 23$ ;  his  diplomacy^  248 ;  prepares  Quebec  for  siege,  250 ;  his  reply  to 
Phips's  messenger,  353 ;  honored  by  his  people,  360 ;  his  triumph,  363 ;  death, 
284. 

Frontenac,  Fort,  193. 

Fundy,  Bay  of,  55,  60,  364. 


1^^    ■   ! 


Cachet,  317. 

Garakonti^,  19a 

Garnier,  123,  136,  13a 

Gaspereau  River,  380,  28a. 

Genesee,  197. 

George,  Lake,  132,  136. 

Georgian  Bay,  124,  142. 

Gigni^res,  a  scout,  232. 

Gilbert,  102. 

Glen,  John  Sander,  334. 

Goupil,  131. 

Grande  Hermine,  15. 

Grand  Pr^,  headquarters  of  Winslow,  278;  Acadians  mustered  at,  278,  283. 

Granville,  355. 

Greenland,  67. 

Griffin,  The,  La  Salle's  schooner,  198 ;  lost,  199. 

Guercheville,  Madame  de,  70,  74. 


m  i 


is 


||.'y  )i '  'k 


nu 


Halifax,  founded,  269. 

Hubert,  96,  103. 

Handfield,  Major,  seizes  French  about  Annapolis,  276. 

Hennepin,  194,  197,  203. 

Henry  the  Fourth  48;  death,  89. 

Hertel,  Francois,  commands  War  Party,  235  ;  attacks  Salmon  Falls,  236. 

Hiawatha,  6. 

Hobson,  Governor  of  Nova  Scotia,  271. 

Hochelaga,  16,  19,  21,  23,  24,  25,  32. 

Holmes,  Admiral,  295 ;  begins  attack  above  Quebec,  297. 

Honfleur,  75. 

Hudson  Bay,  9 ;  territory,  384. 

Hudson  River,  86,  88. 

Hurons,  85,  93.  133,  137,  140,  160, 236. 


Iberville,  Le  Moyne,  334. 

Icelanders,  6,  7. 

Ihonatiria,  135,  198. 

Illinois,  187,  311. 

India,  7,  84. 

Indian  aborigines,  habits  of,  1-4. 

Indies,  W.,  79. 

Iroquois,  84,  88,93,94,133,  136,  138,  143,  152;  attacked  by  Daulac's  men,  173; 

descend  the  Long  Saut,  173;  attack  Daulac's  fort,  174;  plan  to  dtj«troy  New 

France,  174;  conquer  Daulac,  180. 


INDEX. 


309 


Jesuits,  arrival  of,  97;  references  to,  100,  loi,  104,  129,  135,  143. 

Jogues,  Isaac,  arrival  of,  126;   captivity,  132-137;   further  leferences  to,  152,  159, 

226. 
Joliet,  187,  193. 
Joly,  gunship,  21a 

Kanata  fCanada],  17. 
Kankakee,  200. 
Kennebec,  72,  238. 
Kingston,  94,  189. 
Kirke  David,  98,  99,  io«. 


La  Bontd,  217. 

Labrador,  8,  12,  16,  33. 

La  Come,  272. 

Lachine,  51,  90,  185. 

La  Fl^che,  169. 

La  ForSt,  204. 

La  Jonqui^re,  271. 

La  H^ve,  $4. 

Lallemant,  loi,  122,  129,  140,  141,  14a. 

Lalonde,  137. 

La  Motte,  196,  197. 

La  Mouche,  176.  i 

La  Salle  Abbd  de,  185. 

La  Salle,  Robert  Cavalier  de,  arrives  in  Canada  and  receives  Seigniory  of  LaChine, 
185;  prepares  to  explore  Mississippi  and  advises  building  of  Fort  Frontenac, 
187;  rebuilds  Fort  Frontenac,  195;  builds  Griffin,  196-198;  exploring  expedi- 
tions and  discovery  of  Gulf  of  Mexico,  199-207 ;  further  adventures  and  death, 
208-212. 

La  Tour,  builds  Fort  Louis,  resists  his  father's  attack,  266. 

Lauzon,  147. 

Laval,  185. 

Lawrence,  Major,  attacks  Acadians,  272,  273;  builds  Fort  Lawrence,  273,  274;  pro- 
claims exile,  278. 

Lief,  expedition,  6,  7. 

Le  Jeune,  arrives  at  Tadousac,  102;  work  at  Quebec  ;  102-107;  wanderings  with 
Algonquins,  108-119. 

Le  Loutre,  273.  ' 

Le  Mercier,  122,  126. 

Le  Moyne,  122,  160. 

Liry,  8,  45. 

Lescarbot,  Marc,  62-68,  73. 

L^vis  Point,  18,  291. 

Lewiston,  197. 

Longfellow,  276. 

f .ouisburg  taken  from  French,  28$. 

Louis  the  Fourteenth,  209. 

Louisiana,  283. 


3IO 


INDEX. 


%V 


h   ' 


H 


Magdalen  Islands,  13. 

Maine,  33,  59. 

Maisonneuve,  founds  Montreal,  147;  gallant  fight  with  Indians,  156-158;    consent 

to  Daulac's  expedition,  etc,  169. 
Manhattan,  134,  183. 
Manitou,  6,  178. 
Marie  de  1' Incarnation,  121,  146. 
Marie  de  Medicis,  70. 
Marquette,  187,  193. 
Mass^,  Enemond,  70-74,  107,  147. 
Massachusetts,  138. 
Matagorda  Bay,  210. 
Megapolensis,  134. 
Membertou,  67,  70,  72,  73. 
Membr^,  296. 

Meneval,  M.  de,  surrenders  Port  Royal,  267. 
Merveiile,  Captain,  71. 
Mestigoit,  109,  119. 
Mexico,  Gulf  of,  24,  28,  196,  207. 
Miamis,  306. 
Michigan,  200. 
Michillimacinac,  -.99. 
Micmacs,  controlled  by  Le  Loutre,  272. 
Minas  Basin,  270,  278. 
Mississippi,  discovery  of,  187. 

Missaquash,  272.  ' 

Mituvemeg,  169. 
Mohawks,  51,  82,  136,  137,  226. 
Monckton,  274,  seizes  Acadians  at  Beau  Sejour,  276;  Brigadier  to  Wolfe  at  Quebec, 

290,  295,  301- 
Monnerie,  Lt.  de  la,  relieves  Castle  Dangerous,  223. 
Montagnais,  80,  83,  85,  87,  88. 
(Montcalm,  arrives  in  Canada,  285  ;  cmmands  at  Quebec,  286,  292,  295,  30K ;  death, 

302. 
Montmagny,  120,  148,  149,  152. 
Montmorency,  29, 287,  291. 
Montreal,  159-162;  threatened  by  Iroquois,  165. 
Mont  Royal,  26,  51,90,  149,  'S3- 
Mound  Builders,  i. 
Mouton  Cape,  64. 
Murray,  Brigadier  to  Wolfe,  295,  301. 


Nantasket,  Phips's  fleet  leaves,  247. 

N  "frals,  130,  226. 

New  Brunswick,  33,  55,  270. 

Newfoundland,  la,  13,  30,  32,  43,  44,  284. 

New  York,  183. 

Niagara,  52,  130,  193- 

Nicholson,  Gen.,  takes  possession  of  Fort  Royal,  268. 

Nipissing,  Lake,  93. 


INDEX. 

Noiret,  loi. 

Norembega,  32,  33,  59. 

Norsemen,  6. 

Notre  Dame  Des  Anges,  96,  ,01,  ,,9,  ,45. 

Notre  Dame  Dea  R^couvrances,  119. 

Nottawasaga  Bay,  130. 

Noue  Anne  de  la,  101,  loa,  106. 

Nova  Scotia,  8,  264. 

Ohio,  186,  187,  285. 

Ojibways,  131. 

Oneidas,  158,  226. 

Onondaga,  Lake,  161,  187. 

Onondagas,  158,  22. 

Ontario,  Lake,  94,  ,83,  187,  192. 

Orange,  Fort,  133,  ,36. 

Orleans.  Island  of,  ,6,  j,,  ,48;  Wolfe's  troops  landed  on  288 

Ottawa,  90,  92,  .08.  .24.  .38.  .43.  .44.  .68,  ,72.  ' 

Ossossan^,  127,  129,  130,  138. 

Panama,  50,  79. 
Penobscot,  59. 
P^ron,  Dii,  122,  129,  153. 
Perrot,  M.,  188. 

Pierre,  .04,  ,05,  ,09,  ,.2.  ..8.  ^°«'"'"''  ='^''  '^J'  '^Z.  :.84. 

Pinzon  of  Palos,  8. 

Pijart,  122,  126. 

Pilot,  dog,  156. 

Piscataqua  or  Portsmouth,  237. 

Pontgrave,  47-50,  58,  64,  79,  80,  84.  87. 

Portneuf,  238. 

Prevost,  249. 
Puiseaux,  148. 

Quebec  discovered,  16;  Cartier  at    iR-,.  •  ri.-      1  • 

Queylus,  185. 
Quinti,  187,  197. 

Ragueneau,  122. 

Raleigh,  48. 

Ravaiilac,  70. 

Raymbiut,  131. 

Rrfcollets,  92,  100,  loi,  104. 

Rich'.lieu,  86-88,  132,  137,  ,75. 


311 


3»2 


INDEX. 


\\ 


if 


Roberval,  Marguerite,  de,  33-39. 
Roberval,  Sieur  de,  28-40,  44. 
Roche,  Marquis  de  la,  43,  44,  47. 
Rochelle,  52,  63,  91,  196. 
Rossignol,  54. 
Houen,  49,  52. 
Ryswick,  treaty  of,  284. 

Sailo  !ch  d,  8,  44,  46,  47- 

Saguenay,  17,  24,  29,  32,  40,  88,  26r. 

Sainte-Hel^ne  Le  Moyne,  de,  leader  of  war-party,  230;  at  first  siege  of  Quebec,  257  ; 
slain,  261. 

Salmon  Falls,  235  ;  massacre  of,  236. 

Samos,  I  ■''i'."''ci  of,  297. 

Sauit  o.    iViaiif    .  ;>. 

Saunders,  Au.v"  ,.  'J;it;bec,  299. 

Saussaye,  ;.,  76. 

■^chereCad",  230;  n.;<. -.at"- of,  233, 

Senecfls,  jf  ■i    r  ,,■>,  -226. 

Seigniory,  cinraci .    "f,  ■!  i. 

Shirley,  Governor,  of  Kcw  Ln^     -     ;?/j. 

S>>ubenacadie,  269. 

Sillery,  Noel  Brulart  de,  146;  heights  of,  297. 

Simcoe,  Lake,  94. 

Sorcerers,  4,  17,  92,  117,  118. 

St.  Baptiste,  138. 

St.  Charles,  20,  25,  too,  loi,  149,  2S7. 

St.  Croix,  19,  55,  57,  58,  60,  72,  76,  265. 

St.  Lawrence,  Gulf  of,  entered,  13 ;  river,  15,  47,  51,  57,  80. 

St.  Ignace,  138,  148. 

St.  Jean,  139,  142 ;  He  de,  270. 

St.  John,  55. 

St.  Joseph,  He,  138,  142,  143,  200. 

St.  LouiS,  Lake,  90 ;  rapids,  24,  90. 

St.  Louis,  128,  141,  182. 

St.  Madeleine,  138,  141. 

St.  Matthias,  138. 

St.  Marie,  130,  131,  138,  141,  142,  200. 

St.  Michel,  138.  4, ' 

St.  Pierre,  139. 

St.  Sulpice,  183,  185;  Sulpitian,  140,  161. 

Subercase,  Governor,  surrenders  Port  Royal,  268. 


Tadousac,  47.  5«.  54.  58,  80,  82,  88,  97,  102,  249. 

Talon,  i8a,  186. 

Tessouat,  92. 

Thevet,  38. 

Three  war-parties,  planned,  229;  first  sets  out  for  Montreal,  230;  victorious  return, 
23;  second  leaves  Three  Rivers,  235;  third  leaves  Quebec,  238;  complete  suc- 
cess of,  244. 


INDEX. 


zn 


'42. 


rhorwald  the  Viking,  7. 
Thousand  IsJands,  189. 
Thunder  Bay,  94,  ,24. 
Tobacco  Nation,  ,30,  ,39, 
Tonti,  196,  202,  205. 
Tourmente,  Cape,  ,6,  97,  ,06. 

Townsend,  Brigadier,  to  Wolfe.  295,  30,. 
Three  R.vers.  97.  »4.  .3..  .60,  .82 
Trinity,  Cape,  80. 

Ulrechl,  ireaiy  of,  in,  j8<. 

Vaudreuil,  Ma„„i,  d.,  ,%,,  ,,»,  „^  ,^ 

Verrazano,  9,  n. 

Ville  Marie,  .36,  .48,  .50.  ,52,  .53. 
Vmland.  7,  26. 
Vincent.  149. 

Walk,,  Major,  ,46;  „  Q„,b,,  ^^^^^^^  ^ 

^:T:^C;i?L  "s:.7r:,r  "'""■'^-  »'«■  --  .^«. .«.  .»^.. ... 

W.mHn,p,  G,„„,|,  .^,  ,„_  ,,,       ■ 

293;  decides  to  scale  Heights  of  O^Z      '*°"^°^• '92-293 ;  serious  illness. 

forscaIi„g.p,ace,296;    fina  at.ack^^tn  faT^  ''""  ''"T"""'  ^^^'  "-^^es 
300;  shot,  302;  heroic  death.  303     ^        ^'    ''^  «"^'=««'f""y  reaches  heights. 


